Time to sign off with our news story, and an early look at what Saudi Arabia 2034 might actually look like. Thanks for joining me.
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Summary
Time to bring the curtain down on a day devoid of surprises, but no less momentous as a result. Fifa have waved through Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup hosts despite concerns raised by human rights groups, and the Norwegian and Swiss FAs, who raised objections at the Zurich congress/coronation.
Gianni Infantino addressed those concerns in typically broad strokes, acknowledging “critics and fears” and promising “a positive social impact” for World Cup host nations. Whether the situation in Saudi Arabia for citizens or migrant workers will actually improve is another matter; few could argue there was any such legacy in Qatar after the 2022 tournament.
In what feels like a footnote, the 2030 World Cup was awarded to Spain, Morocco and Portugal – with centenary matches to be held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. Some observers have suggested that two acceptable hosting bids were shunted together to fast-track a Saudi World Cup. All I know is that a total of seven host countries meant a lot of suits, and a lot of speeches.
