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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Paul MacInnes

Fifa is ‘ignoring human rights report’ into Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino at the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia which opened the 2018 World Cup in Moscow.
Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, and Fifa president Gianni Infantino at the match between Russia and Saudi Arabia which opened the 2018 World Cup in Moscow. Photograph: Alexei Nikolsky/AP

A group of leading legal figures say Fifa has ignored their report on human rights concerns over the 2034 World Cup, warning that the governing body is “dealing with the devil” in planning to take the tournament to Saudi Arabia.

A decision on the Saudi bid to host the World Cup is to be made in December, although it appears to be a foregone conclusion given there are no other bidders. The lawyers – Prof Mark Pieth, Stefan Wehrenberg and Rodney Dixon KC – submitted a report to Fifa in May pointing out areas in which the Saudi state breached the human rights policies of world football’s governing body.

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