December 18 – In an open letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, European lawmakers have expressed “grave concern” over the hosting of the 2034 World Cup by Saudi Arabia.
Led by Danish MEP Niels Fuglsang, about 30 members of the European Parliament issued a warning to the football supremo, expressing their “grave concerns regarding the decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.” The lawmakers argue that the decision undermined “the principles upon which FIFA was founded.”
The letter reads: “We also stand in solidarity with the professional footballers who have raised legitimate questions about FIFA’s partnership with Aramco. These decisions raise profound concerns about the alignment of FIFA’s values and its commitment to gender equality, human rights, and environmental sustainability.”
Last week, the FIFA membership rubber-stamped the Arab Kingdom as the host of the 2034 finals.
It will be the second time that the World Cup will be staged in the Middle East after Qatar welcomed the tournament in 2022. Those finals were highly controversial after years of reports over the plight of migrant workers who transformed the infrastructure of the Gulf country in time for the football extravaganza. FIFA ignored the recommendations of its own subcommittee to provide workers with compensation.
The MEPs noted that “in the aftermath of the 2022 tournament, FIFA pledged to incorporate human rights criteria into its selection process. However, it appears that these commitments have not been substantiated in practice, and the recent decision calls into question FIFA’s true dedication to human rights.”
The parliamentarians demand “binding commitments on the following critical issues: Ensuring that all fans, regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexuality, will not face discrimination; ensuring that residents will not be forcibly evicted; ensuring that migrant workers will not be exploited; [and] ensuring that a sustainable climate strategy is in place for continuously reducing emissions.”
The letter follows a barrage of criticism of FIFA and Infantino, who engineered the bidding processes for the 2030 and 2034 World Cup finals so that Saudi Arabia had no challengers.
FIFA has been contacted for comment.
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