FIFA responds to criticism of World Cup in Saudi Arabia over human rights concerns

FIFA has stated that awarding Saudi Arabia the right to host the 2034 World Cup has "good potential" to support reforms in the country, after the tournament was assessed as having a "medium" risk in terms of human rights.

Details. The report was published ahead of the FIFA Congress on December 11, where Saudi Arabia is expected to be confirmed as the host of the 2034 World Cup. In the FIFA report, prepared by Secretary General Matthias Grafström, Saudi Arabia’s bid scored 4.2 out of 5, with an overall technical score of 419.8, the highest ever assigned by the governing body to a potential host.

The human rights risk level for the tournament was rated as "medium" following an analysis by the law firm Clifford Chance. The report states that Saudi Arabia has committed to respecting human rights, covering areas such as security, workers' rights, children's rights, gender equality, and guarantees of press freedom.

• Read also: US senators oppose granting Saudi Arabia the right to host the 2034 World Cup

Reminder. Saudi Arabia is the sole candidate to host the 2034 World Cup. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are expected to be confirmed as joint hosts for the 2030 tournament.