The Football Association (FA) has been cautioned by internal discussions to refrain from protesting at the meeting that will confirm Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 men’s World Cup, unless it is prepared to boycott the tournament altogether.
The confirmation of Saudi Arabia as the host will take place at a virtual meeting of the 211-member FIFA congress. On the eve of the meeting, there was still a lack of clarity about how the process would unfold. Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder for the tournament, but it remains uncertain whether FIFA members will be given the opportunity to vote on the bid or simply approve it by acclamation.
The FA has not publicly revealed its stance on how it will approach the vote, though there have been internal conversations at the board level. Some have suggested that protesting the decision by voting against it would lack credibility if England still chose to participate in the tournament. The FA did not respond to inquiries regarding its position on the issue.
Ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the FA raised concerns about human rights and LGBTQ+ equality, as part of a UEFA working group on human rights. The FA called for financial compensation for migrant workers and the creation of a migrant workers’ hub in Qatar. However, FIFA did not respond to these demands, and plans for England’s captain, Harry Kane, to wear a rainbow armband as a gesture of solidarity were abandoned due to pressure from FIFA.
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has been one of FIFA’s most vocal critics regarding the World Cup being awarded to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The NFF announced it would vote against the bid and oppose any attempt to pass the decision by acclamation. The federation expressed concerns about the bidding process, arguing that it violated principles of accountability, transparency, and objectivity that were central to FIFA’s governance reforms of 2016. Norway has written to FIFA, questioning the lack of an open and predictable process.
Lise Klaveness, the president of the NFF, criticized the process, stating that the lack of predictability and transparency undermines trust in FIFA’s role as the global overseer of football. She also noted that FIFA’s own human rights guidelines had not been properly integrated into the bidding process, which increases the risk of human rights violations. The NFF has consistently advocated for FIFA to be a stronger and more rules-based organization.
FIFA awarded Saudi Arabia’s bid a score of 4.2 out of 5, the highest rating given in its evaluation of World Cup bids. The evaluation document described the potential for human rights violations as being of “medium” risk but also argued that awarding the tournament to Saudi Arabia could serve as a catalyst for future reforms.
The congress will also ratify the joint bid for the 2030 World Cup, awarded to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Additionally, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will each host a match during the tournament, though FIFA acknowledged that this arrangement could have a significant negative impact on the climate.
