December 11 – The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) and its president Lise Klaveness have blasted FIFA and its World Cup plans, arguing that “the bidding process undermines good governance and reform”.
Following a board meeting on Tuesday, the NFF said in a statement that they will vote against FIFA’s awarding of hosting rights for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups by acclamation. The Norwegians have sent FIFA a letter to protest.
“The bidding process undermines FIFA’s own 2016 reforms for good governance and transparent World Cup allocations,” said the Norwegian FA.
“The NFF cannot endorse a process it considers flawed and inconsistent with the principles of FIFA’s own reforms.”
Once again the NFF is defying FIFA and the powers that be. The Norwegians were the fiercest critics of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where the plight of migrant workers cast a long shadow over the tournament, and on the eve of Saudi Arabia’s coronation as 2034 hosts, Klaveness and her association are back to hold FIFA to account. The Norwegians’ outspoken position is a contrast to the rest of the FIFA membership and in particular major European federations, who have maintained a deafening silence or at best issued justifications for not questioning the process.
“Tomorrow’s vote is not about who gets the 2030 and 2034 World Cups – that has already been decided,” said Klaveness.
“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. By abstaining from acclamation, we are sending a deliberate signal that we cannot support FIFA’s approach.”
FIFA engineered the 2030 World Cup in six countries across three continents, taking the notion of a mega sporting event to a new extreme, to clear the path for Saudi Arabia in 2034. Other eligible host nations were given less than a month to enter the race for the 2034 tournament. The world governing body gave Saudi Arabia’s bid a 4.2/5 rating, largely ignoring human rights and environmental concerns.
At the same time, FIFA ignored the recommendation by its own subcommittee on human rights and social responsibility to compensate migrant workers.
The NFF urged “FIFA to follow the recommendations outlined in the ‘Remedy Report’ by FIFA’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights & Social Responsibility, published on Saturday, November 30.”
“The lack of predictability and open processes challenges trust in FIFA as the global custodian of football,” concluded Klaveness.
“FIFA’s own guidelines for human rights and due diligence have also not been adequately integrated into the process, increasing the risk of human rights violations. Based on the mandate from our General Assembly in 2021, we have consistently advocated for FIFA to strengthen itself as a rules-based and predictable steward of international football. We must remain consistent in this matter as well.”
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