Saudi Arabia recently submitted a proposal to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, promising a paradise-like setting for the beautiful game. The decision was heavily impacted by Qatar’s competency in 2022 and, more recently, the selection of the 2030 World Cup host countries.
Saudi Arabia’s plan to host the 2034 World Cup appears reasonable given the kingdom’s infrastructure, which meets and even exceeds FIFA standards. Despite the anticipated controversy surrounding the proposal, it is indisputable that a World Cup hosted by the monarchy would undoubtedly be a magnificent spectacle.
The Official Bid and Contest
Saudi Arabia’s new trajectory began on October 9th, 2023, when it submitted a formal request to host the renowned tournament. The audacious bid to host the games came shortly after FIFA officially extended the courtesy of hosting the 2030 World Cup to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal.
The country’s quest was based on its recent success in sports, which has seen it host several major sporting events across multiple genres. The Saudi sports authorities submitted all requested items, including a detailed plan for staging a world-class rendition of the World Cup.
Various football federations immediately lauded the optimistic move. Over a hundred football federations are confident in Saudi Arabia’s ability to deliver all the resources required for a successful event.
Beating The Competition and Planning for the World Cup
Saudi Arabia’s vast resources and reputation make it a formidable applicant. Indonesia explored bidding for the prestigious cup but would have to collaborate with a neighboring country to meet the tournament’s requirements.
Australia also tried to place a bid, relying on its history of collaborating with New Zealand to host the Women’s World Cup. However, Australia abandoned its interest just hours before the bid deadline.
Football Australia announced that it had evaluated all relevant issues and chosen not to bid for the global football competition.
Instead, the federation decided to bid for both the Women’s Asian Cup in 2026 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029. In this way, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emerged as the single bidder for the 2034 men’s FIFA World Cup.
FIFA’s Take
FIFA announced Saudi Arabia’s selection, confirming that it was the sole candidate who submitted a proposal within the deadline.
Nevertheless, the football federation maintained its commitment to conducting comprehensive tendering and evaluation procedures for the highly anticipated tournaments in 2030 and 2034.
FIFA stated that in both circumstances, it would retain the bidders and have ongoing communication with them to verify what was expected of them to meet the basic requirements.
The federation emphasizes the primary elements of hosting the mega-event, including infrastructure, sustainability, commercial services, and human rights.
Additionally, the federation expressed their anticipation that Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay would play opening encounters of the 2030 World Cup in observance of the 100-year mark of the tournament.
Saudi Arabia Accused of Sportwashing
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently faced criticism for holding big events while deviating from established human rights practices. Sportwashing, seen as taking advantage of beloved sports to manipulate a good impression, does not sit well with numerous parties, especially in the West.
This may significantly impact Saudi’s fresh bid to host the 2034 World Cup. When asked about the appointment, the Sports and Rights Alliance suggested that FIFA may have scored an own goal.
According to the global alliance of human rights and anti-corruption advocates, “FIFA must now clearly state the expectation for hosts to comply with its human rights policies. It must also be ready to terminate the bidding process if major human rights concerns are not adequately addressed.”
In contrast, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stated, “Well, if sportswashing increases my GDP by one percent, I will continue to do sportswashing. I do not care. I have one percent GDP growth from sports and aspire for another one and a half percent.
Call it what you want, but we’ll get that one and a half percent.” This places FIFA in a tough spot due to pressure from human rights organizations such as the Sports & Rights Alliance and Amnesty International.
Final Thoughts
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on track to become one of the historic hosts of the prestigious FIFA World Cup. On the other hand, human rights organizations are demanding different standards for countries bidding to host the world football event in 2030 and 2034.
FIFA may be forced to look elsewhere if the aspiring hosts do not tick all qualification boxes. In this way, Saudi Arabia’s fate at the FIFA World Cup remains uncertain, but there is also a sense of optimism considering Qatar faced similar obstacles.