2023-11-02 05:55:27
Saudi Arabia is holding its World Cup. Now the sole candidate for the organization of the 2034 edition since Australia’s withdrawal on Tuesday, the ultraconservative kingdom will be chosen in a chair in December 2024. The Gulf monarchy is preparing to receive the dividends from the great company of ” sportwashing”, or “whitening of one’s image through sport”, which has seen it melt away at a number of events or assets with millions in recent years.
Between the Dakar, the Newcastle club, the stars Benzema, Ronaldo, Neymar & co for the local championship, an F 1 Grand Prix, a professional LIV golf circuit, the Nextgen ATP Masters, the Saudi Equestrian Cup or the Fury-Ngannou fight on Saturday, Saudi Arabia spent huge.
Six billion dollars since 2021, according to a recent study by “The Guardian”. And it’s not over… Riyadh, whose sovereign wealth fund is valued at $700 billion, is preparing to host the FIFA Club World Cup (December 12 to 22), the 2027 Asian Football Cup and the 2029 Asian Winter Games at its futuristic complex under construction in Neom.
It’s difficult to upset Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) when he decided to take over a jewel of world sport. And this does not seem to be the intention of FIFA vis-à-vis the crown prince who intends to transform his kingdom into a country of business and tourism to reduce its dependence on oil revenues and, according to his detractors, to divert the international attention for its human rights violations. Taken for granted, the 2034 Saudi World Cup will not go on for the next ten years without asking a certain number of questions.
How did we arrive at a single application?
The next two World Cups having been granted to America in 2026 (Canada – United States – Mexico) and to a combo Europe (Spain-Portugal) – Africa (Morocco) – South America (a match in Uruguay, a in Paraguay and one in Argentina) in 2030, FIFA has only invited Asia and Oceania to apply for 2034. And this, over a window of barely a month, between October 4 and 31.
Reporting to the Asian Confederation, Saudi Arabia immediately positioned itself. Australia has put together an application file and invited Indonesia to join. On October 19, however, Indonesia declined, giving free rein to the heavyweight of its confederation. Under these conditions, Australia, already ahead of schedule for the 2018 and 2022 editions, wisely withdrew on Tuesday.
How will Saudi Arabia handle human rights?
In this regard, the ultraconservative kingdom is even more unfavorably known than Qatar, organizer of the 2022 edition. Which Qatar had already been strongly criticized in particular for the poor conditions reserved for foreign workers on stadium construction sites, as well as for its policy regarding the rights of LGBT+ people.
Saudi Arabia claimed responsibility for 81 executions in one day (linked to “terrorism”) last year. Within it, it criminalizes homosexuality, does not respect women’s rights and restricts freedom of expression. Outside its borders, it leads a coalition accused of war crimes in Yemen. Finally, the CIA holds MBS as the sponsor of the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, in Istanbul in 2018…
“The best way for FIFA to obtain binding measures to protect workers’ rights and freedom of expression is to intervene during the selection process,” said Steve Cockburn, head of the economics and social justice division of FIFA. Amnesty International. Not after the candidates have been chosen and preparations for the tournament have begun. »
“When choosing the organizer of the most watched sporting event in the world, FIFA’s human rights policy should not exist only on paper,” says Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch. . With an estimated 13.4 million migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, inadequate labor and health protections, absence of unions, independent human rights monitors and press freedom, there are every reason to fear for the lives of those who will build and maintain the stadiums, transport, hotels and other hospitality infrastructure…”
How would a new World Cup in winter be received?
On Tuesday, the Saudi football federation said it was capable of organizing the 2034 edition in summer or winter. “There are many new technologies that make it possible to cool or add air conditioners in stadiums, not to mention that many cities in the kingdom enjoy a very pleasant atmosphere in summer,” underlined Saudi football boss Yasser Al- Misehal Tuesday. »
However, in one of the hottest regions in the world, with temperatures of 37°C to 38°C in June and July, rising to 50°C, the likelihood is high that the organizer will not give up on a competition in winter, like Qatar, between November 20 and December 18, 2022. But in the configuration of a competition increased from 32 to 48 teams (from the 2026 World Cup) and from four to five weeks, the discontent will certainly rise a notch within the clubs and among the players. But will both sides be heard more in ten years than today?
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