Saudi Arabia wants to host the Women’s World Cup – but should it?

‘It suits the west very well to pretend that Saudi Arabia is modernizing its attitude towards women and improving its human rights record because Saudi Arabia is a lucrative trading partner.’ Photograph: Alessandra Tarantino/AP

Should Saudi Arabia host the Women’s World Cup?

Saudi Arabia scored a major PR victory earlier this year when it became the only bidder for the 2034 men’s World Cup, all but guaranteeing it will host the event. Not content with one World Cup, it also seems to have its eye on hosting the women’s event in 2035. The Saudi Arabia Football Federation vice-president, Lamia Bahaian, recently told Sky Sports that “everyone would be welcome” if the country did host the tournament, and people should put aside their concerns about playing there.