September 20 – The Danish FA (DBU) has said it is not concerned by Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 World Cup, citing the abolishment of the kafala system in the Arab Kingdom and the assurance of beer sales during the tournament.
Following a meeting between Nordic football associations and the Saudi Arabian bidders for the 2034 World Cup to cover human rights, workers’ legal position, women’s legal position, women’s football and sustainability earlier this week on the sidelines of the UEFA executive meeting in Cannes, DBU chairman Jesper Moller and secretary general Erik Brogger Rasmussen were unabashedly optimistic about the Saudi bid.
After emphasising there were no major concerns, Moller said: “They have talked about the vision towards the WC, which they have been working with since 2016 with massive reforms, so I feel that they are in a different place than if we were to compare with Qatar.”
“It’s a football nation. I experienced the excitement when they won over Argentina at the World Cup 2022. They have relatively large stadiums. They must not build new airports and subways. They are a completely different place than Qatar was ten years before the World Cup.”
In their bid book, Saudi bidders however highlighted the need to build several new stadiums, including in a new city in Neom, a project that would outstrip any infrastructure work undertaken by Qatar in the leadup to the 2022 World Cup. The DBU was among the more critical voices of Qatar’s human rights record and treatment of migrant workers under the kafala system, but, as the tournament neared, the Danish softened their criticism.
Rasmussen claimed that the kafala system has been abolished in Qatar. The kafala system is dominant in the labour market in Saudi Arabia and ties workers to sponsors and companies.
He said: “They have abolished the kafala system, and no, not everything works perfectly with the migrant workers. They say so themselves. But because they have a collaboration with the ILO, which they also had during the bidding process, it will improve. They have learned from Qatar and are not looking for bad stories, like those in Qatar with dead scaffolders.”
Rasmussen also expressed a sense of reassurance because beer will be sold in Saudi Arabia in 2034 during the tournament. At the last minute, Qatar pulled out of selling Budweiser at World Cup venues.
The DBU secretary general said: “They say that they know that they are not on target, but that there are ten years to go. When they look at the past ten years and what they have achieved, if this continues, Saudi Arabia in 2034 will not look like what we know today. Today, for example, you can’t just drink a beer in the stadium. You can do that at the World Cup.”
Members of the LGBT community will be greeted with a smile at the airport, said Rasmussen.
“What they attach the most importance to is that, regardless of who comes to Saudi Arabia to visit them, you get a safe and good experience. They emphasise that everyone is welcome. At the airport, you are not asked what sexual orientation you have. You have to show your passport, then you get a smile and then you are welcome.”
In December, Fifa is expected to name Saudi Arabia as host for the 2034 World Cup. There is no other bidding nation after the global governing body gave other federations less than a month to enter the race.
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