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.
Some onward reading …
Infantino wraps up the congress with confirmation that the next Fifa shindig will be in Asuncion, Paraguay. With the bar so desperately low, I’m almost pleasantly surprised that he addressed the various elephants in the room. Of course, the promised changes in Qatar never materialised; perhaps if the Fifa president really means it this time, he could start by paying compensation to the workers that built the 2022 World Cup, as recommended by his own subcommittee.
Time for Gianni Infantino to make his closing remarks, and I for one can’t wait. “Today is a historic day, a day of celebration,” he begins. “In a divided world, we have shown unity. You [the delegates] have shown we are all part of one global community.”
“We are learning to accept each other with our differences, and we respect each other. There are many things we can do better, in every country … we want to make a positive social impact. We are aware of critics and fears, and I trust our hosts to address these points and deliver a World Cup that meets expectations.
The Fifa president says he expects “a positive human rights impact” and “real lasting social change”, adding that the World Cup “shines a spotlight” on host nations, “forcing us to discuss, debate and to act.” Moving swiftly on, he says “seven countries have won the World Cup today. You should celebrate, and we celebrate with you.”
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“For us, football is a value that brings us all together,” he adds, and explains that “sustainable [and] societal development” are key parts of their successful bid. And then he’s off, leaving Infantino to clap awkwardly once again.
For some reason, we are now getting another video montage, just about football in general. Neymar, Lionel Messi, Lucy Bronze, Alex Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo: they’re all here. “Football belongs to all of us” is the key message.
A reminder: Amnesty describes the current situation in Saudi Arabia as “dire” and having deteriorated under Mohammed bin Salman, who “has presided over mass executions, torture, enforced disappearance, severe restrictions on free under the male guardianship system, LGBTI+ discrimination and the killing of hundreds of migrants at the Saudi Arabia-Yemen border”.
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Now, Gianni Infantino wants to present the 2034 World Cup award certificate to the “large and vibrant” crowd in Riyadh. The Saudi minister of sport, Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal al-Saud, is on stage to accept said certificate. “Allow me first of all to say thank you for the trust you have given to Saudi Arabia,” he says. “We intend to have an extraordinary World Cup held in our kingdom.”
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Amnesty: 'Reckless decision will put lives at risk'
Amnesty and several other human rights organisations have responded after Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup was confirmed.
“Fifa’s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk,” Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport, said in a statement issued by 21 bodies.
Among those who co-signed the statement were Saudi diaspora human rights organisations, migrant workers’ groups from Nepal and Kenya, international trade unions, fans’ representatives and global human rights organisations.
“Based on clear evidence to date, Fifa knows workers will be exploited and even die without fundamental reforms in Saudi Arabia, and yet has chosen to press ahead regardless. The organisation risks bearing a heavy responsibility for many of the human rights abuses that will follow.”
I’ve got to hand it to these South American suits – if there was a World Cup for talking, they would be eternal hosts and champions. They’ve collectively gone on for about 45 minutes, or a sixth of the total run-time of their 2030 involvement. And because Fifa’s dubbing stream has disappeared, I don’t really know what they’re saying. They look very pleased, though.
We will now take a tour of the successful hosts as the charade rolls on. Meanwhile, David Alderton asks: “What would the practical consequences be if a team qualified for the 2034 World Cup, and at the last minute refused to go in protest?”
My best guess is that they would just be replaced; I think the FA’s decision to support the Saudi bid was made largely because they want England to be able to play in it.
Saudi Arabia confirmed as 2034 World Cup hosts
We move swiftly on to 2034, and Infantino confirms that Saudi Arabia, the only bidders, will host the 2034 World Cup. It’s entirely expected, inevitable in fact, but seeing it in writing still feels like a very significant moment.
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Morocco, Portugal and Spain to host 2030 World Cup
Pre-stuffed envelopes are brought on stage, with Infantino confirming that Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host the 2030 World Cup – with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay hosting centenary matches to open the tournament.
The first vote is to back the bidding and host selection process, the second is to confirm both the 2030 and 2034 World Cup hosts. Infantino, proud as a peacock, applauds twice to an empty room, and the various delegates do likewise. I’m sure some don’t join in, but we can’t really see in any detail. Anyway, Fifa’s panel of scrutineers are satisfied, having forensically analysed the 201 reactions at incredible speed.
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We’re getting perilously close to an actual vote now – two votes, Infantino confirms, but by acclamation. There won’t be a ballot: instead, national FA members on video screens are advised to raise a hand or applaud …
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Gianni is back, briefly, to introduce a video presentation on bidding processes. A reminder that the Norwegian and Swiss football federations have sent letters in querying the transparency of these bidding processes.
It’s also worth mentioning – though not confirmed yet – that a Saudi World Cup is likely to take place in January 2034. Summer temperatures in Saudi Arabia mean that another winter tournament is inevitable, while Ramadan runs from November to December in 2024.
We are now taking a tour of the 15 planned venues in five different cities that will make up “the best ever World Cup”. You can get a look in this video, even if it doesn’t touch on the human costs of such eye-bogglingly ambitious stadia.
The Saudi minister of sport and the president of the Saudi FA are both featuring in a video presentation to support their 2034 bid. There’s a lot of emphasis on youth, and Saudi citizens’ love for football, which is all fairly unsurprising.
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And now a 13-year-old boy, Hamad Ali Kaabi, also a Saudi youth representative. “Young Saudis are part of driving change,” he says. “Football inspires us to be whatever we want to be. The leaders of our country inspire us to dream big.” I don’t want to be deathly cynical, but they’re making it so easy.
Now, the Saudi bid presentation, which is being led by … a 13-year-old girl named Sadeen Alyafei, a Saudi Youth Representative, according to Fifa’s own caption. “It’s an honour to be here with you and to speak to the Fifa football family,” she says. “Saudi Arabia has become home to some of the great sport events in the world … and now we want to host the first 48-team World Cup in a single nation.”
Now on to Spain, Portugal and Morocco’s video to support their bid to host the vast majority of the 2030 tournament. Luis Figo is front and centre, and there’s lots of nice aerial shots of beaches and historic buildings, which are collectively making me quite fancy a holiday.
While we wait for the vote, and for Infantino to pop up and start talking again, here’s Football Daily on a rare feelgood story in modern football.
One very interesting side-note to this whole business is how the Saudi World Cup bid links to Infantino’s pet project, the Club World Cup. As Jonathan Wilson has pointed out, there is something of a paper trail via streaming platform Dazn:
Last week Infantino announced that streaming rights for next summer’s Club World Cup have been bought by Dazn for $1bn, so that every match will be broadcast live and for free. That is a figure industry insiders suggest is significantly higher than the market rate (Fox offered only $10m for the US rights).
Dazn has posted losses of at least £1bn each year since 2019 but recent reports have suggested the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) is preparing a $1bn bid for 10% of the company. And so Dazn would become a platform to promote Saudi investment in sport, while also bailing out the Club World Cup, which has been in desperate need of an injection of cash.
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The Morocco, Portugal and Spain FA heads are now giving their thoughts. On Sky, Kaveh Solhekol – who like the rest of us, is trying to unpick this opaque process on the go – is reporting that the vote will be for both World Cups. So, there’ll be no saying yes to the 2030 plan but no to Saudi Arabia in 2034.
“Yes, the Argentina-Paraguay-Uruguay triumvirate sounds great as it is, so why are Spain, Portugal and Morocco part of it too?” asks Andrew Benton. Well, some observers have suggested it was a handy way to rule three confederations – Conmebol, Caf and Uefa – out of bidding for the 2034 World Cup. That left only Asia (AFC) and Oceania (OFC), with Saudi Arabia eventually emerging as the only bidder.
The Conmebol president has been speaking, along with the Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina FA presidents. The latter points out that matches in 2030 will be “the first World Cup game in Argentina under a democracy” – referring to the 1978 tournament being held under a brutal military regime.
My colleagues, Pete Pattison and Tom Levitt, have both written extensively and in great detail on the plight of migrant workers in Qatar, and the risks posed by a Saudi World Cup. Here is their latest piece:
Over the past months, a host of human rights groups have raised concerns about the alleged abuse of migrant workers and the risks of awarding the World Cup to Saudi Arabia, with Amnesty International saying, “migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die”.
Nick McGeehan, co-director of FairSquare, writes about their report on Fifa from October. “Substitute: The case for the external reform of Fifa identifies the serious structural flaws that lead to it making obviously bonkers decisions like giving the World Cup to Saudi Arabia, and simultaneously preclude it from fulfilling its objectives of developing the game.”
And more on that report from Paul MacInnes:
Our first stop is Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, where the various FA suits will lay out their plans to host matches at the 2030 World Cup. There’s the obligatory glossy video presentation, confirming venues in Montevideo, Buenos Aires and Asuncion.
The existing plan is for the tournament’s first three games to be played in South America, with the rest in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Of course, hosting the entire centenary tournament in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay would actually have been a good choice; it’s the way two separate World Cup scenarios have been jackknifed together into a carbon-heavy nightmare that’s the problem.
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“It might have been worse,” writes Charles Antaki. “It could have been Musk City on Mars. Perhaps next time.” This reminds me of one of my favourite Sepp Blatter moments – sidestepping a mountain of corruption questions by talking up ‘inter-planetary competitions’ before the 2014 World Cup.
It was brief finance chat indeed, because we have moved swiftly on to the three eligible bids – Spain, Morocco and Portugal (2030); Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay (selected 2030 matches) and Saudi Arabia (2034). Each delegation will give a short presentation and then votes will be cast.
The Fifa president moves on to the 2030 men’s tournament. “What better way to celebrate 100 years of the World Cup, than having a World Cup in six countries, on three continents, with 48 teams?” he asks. By having fewer countries, continents and teams involved, I might venture.
On 2034, he adds: “It will be the first World Cup of the new century [of World Cups] and it will be a spectacular one definitely.” After some guff about inclusivity that I won’t bother repeating, it’s time for some brief finance chat.
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Infantino talks about the success of the 32-team Women’s World Cup last year, and hints at future expansion. He also runs through the World Cup 2026 (“A hundred Super Bowls”) and the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, the first in South America.
Infantino: “Today we are here to decide on the hosts of 2030 and 2034. Two years ago, we were in Qatar to witness a fantastic, incredible, beautiful World Cup. Three million fans in the stands, five billion watching on TV. What an incredible success story that was.” He still finds ways to surprise me, I’ll give him that.
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Now Infantino is giving his president’s address. “Football is a unique social phenomenon which is capable of bringing people from all over the world together, in a peaceful, joyful and respectful way. This is unity, and this is football.”
Norwegian and Swiss FAs raise concerns
Now, a letter from the Norwegian FA is being read out, “raising concerns about the bidding process … being perceived as not fully aligning with the principles and objectives of Fifa’s governance reforms of 2016.” Norway add they will not join a vote of acclamation. Grafström says that Fifa will go back to the Norwegian FA to discuss their concerns after the Congress. The Swiss FA have also submitted a letter raising similar concerns; both will be included in the minutes.
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Fifa's congress has begun
Gianni Infantino is seated alongside the general secretary, Mattias Grafström, who confirms 201 nations are in virtual attendance, and that all 211 eligible nations have voted on the World Cup bids.
“I do not even know where to begin. But if I look back at the unbending arc of compromised integrity the writing, as they say, has been on the wall,” writes Krishna Moorthy.
“Putin, Qatar, Trump potentially handing out medals two years from now, a multi continent Jumboree six years down the line. The most logical next step in this travesty has to be Saudi Arabia. I will be 69 in 2034 and I do not plan to watch even a single minute.”
Here’s Nick Ames on what a Saudi World Cup might mean for the nation’s migrant workers. A recent ITV documentary, Kingdom Uncovered, reported that 21,000 workers from Nepal, India and Bangladesh have died since the launch of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme in April 2016. Of the 15 planned venues for 2034, 11 are yet to be built – and one is in Neom, a city that is yet to be built.
The Council of Europe, a human rights watchdog whose mission is to “promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe and beyond”, have recently released two statements on Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid. The first queries the “opaque process” Fifa have taken in awarding the 2034 tournament; the second calls on Gianni Infantino to ensure human rights are protected.
“As one of the world’s most influential sport organisations, Fifa has the power to foster positive change,” said Linda Hofstad Helleland. “Hosting a World Cup is more than an honour; it is a responsibility. It is therefore crucial that Fifa sets clear and enforceable rules for Saudi Arabia, as well as for any other host country.”
A reminder of the 2030 World Cup plan, set to be verified today. Why have one host when you can have six?
Today’s Extraordinary Fifa Congress begins at 2pm (GMT), 3pm local time in Zürich. The agenda can be seen here; the process of awarding the 2030 and 2034 World Cups will begin at around 2.25pm (GMT). Gianni Infantino is scheduled to speak after that – will we get another “today I feel disabled” style speech?
Here’s Barney Ronay’s excellent long read on Saudi Arabia and the human cost of building the 2034 World Cup.
Gianni Infantino has both executive control and full knowledge of the possible consequences. This isn’t a hijacking. It is instead a considered and managed process. Let us sponsor the building of your hardline leisure state. Let us take the rewards, nourish ourselves on suffering in plain sight, while pretending to an almost satirical degree that it is all for love of the game, that this one’s for the children.
At which point two things can be said. First, this will stand as surely the most wretched, bloody, damaging act in the history of global organised sport. If not causing death were your starting point, your one non-negotiable, Saudi Arabia wouldn’t even be on the table. And yet Infantino appears to have actively sought this outcome, aligning his Fifa with the world’s most ruthlessly ambitious carbon power; and as a consequence taking choices that will, it can be assumed, cause demonstrable death and suffering.
FA expected to support Saudi Arabia's bid
The Football Assocation is to expected to support both the Saudi bid for 2034 and the multi-country 2030 offer from Spain, Morocco and Portugal (as well as Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay). Their position has come under scrutiny ahead of the vote, with the FA not commenting publicly, but they look set to join the mass ‘acclamation’ for the bid when asked later today.
Norway are currently the sole nation to publicly express their decision to go against the vote. On Tuesday the president of the Norwegian Football Federation, Lise Klaveness, said: “Tomorrow’s vote is not about who gets the 2030 and 2034 World Cups – that has already been decided. The congress is primarily about providing feedback on Fifa’s allocation process.”
“The board’s assessment is that the process does not align with the principles of a sound and predictable governance system,” Klaveness continued. “By abstaining from acclamation, we are sending a deliberate signal that we cannot support Fifa’s approach.”
From Mussolini’s World Cup to Qatar, via Argentina’s military junta – the World Cup’s long relationship with what is now called “sportswashing”. While checking this gallery over, I stumbled upon a quite spectacular quote from Jérôme Valcke, then the Fifa general secretary, in 2013. “I will say something which is crazy – but less democracy is sometimes better for organising a World Cup.”
Preamble
The World Cup is heading to Saudi Arabia. This afternoon’s virtual Fifa congress in Zürich will officially confirm the 2034 hosts (and those of the multinational 2030 tournament), but this is a done deal. The speed at which a Saudi World Cup has developed from distant fear to total certainty has been breathtaking, and leaves plenty of difficult questions unanswered. For instance, was the decision to host the 2030 event across six countries on three continents – trumpeted as a tribute to the tournament’s centenary – actually a convenient excuse?
With Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay (Conmebol), Spain and Portugal (Uefa) and Morocco (Caf) all sharing hosting rights, it left Asia and Oceania as the only choices for 2034. Fifa then opened the bidding process without warning, and while Saudi Arabia had a glossy document ready to go – packed with dystopian visions of glowing extra-terrestrial arenas – other interested parties had 25 days to get their act together. Australia were the only realistic competition, but soon ran out of time.
Other hurdles were breezily overcome, including a Saudi FA-commissioned human rights assessment, labelled a “whitewash [of] the reality of abuse and discrimination faced by Saudi Arabia’s citizens and residents” by one campaign group, and condemned by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and others. Then there was Fifa’s own report on the Saudi bid, awarding a historically high score of 419.8 out of 500. Both of these assessments failed to tackle the plight of migrant workers, a shadow on the Qatar World Cup that is at risk of being repeated.
Even the most wide-eyed, naive football fans can trace the World Cup’s awkward history as a propaganda tool back to 1934, a century before the Saudi jamboree. Today’s inevitable coronation feels like history repeating, but with the film reel running in ever murkier shades. Will the next 10 years bring much light, clarity or accountability? That feels less certain than ever before.
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