December 16 – English FA president Debbie Hewitt has defended her organisation’s backing of Saudi Arabia as host of the 2034 World Cup, a decision that FIFA and its membership rubber-stamped last week.
The award was the most contentious decision in modern sporting history fronted by FIFA supremo Gianni Infantino, who engineered Saudi’s coronation by acclamation. The Norwegian and Swiss federations registered their protest, but other football governing bodies, including the English FA, did not object. Instead, the FA issued a statement backing Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with BBC 5Live, Hewitt explained the FA’s position: “It wasn’t a difficult decision – I think it was a very thorough process. We spent a lot of time with the Saudis, understanding their approach to the tournament. We asked a lot of questions, they gave us a lot of time and they gave us a lot of commitments and I think the important thing is that we will now work with them over the next 10 years leading up to the tournament to make sure that those commitments are delivered – from both sides.”
With a decade until kick-off, Saudi Arabia have already faced scrutiny over their human rights record and discrimination against the LGBT+ community. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was the subject of huge controversy over the deaths of migrant workers who helped build stadiums and World Cup infrastructure because of the host nation’s enforcement of the kafala system, which dominates the labour market in Saudi Arabia as well.
The FA’s position jars with its support of the LGBTQ+ community through the Rainbow Laces campaign. Saudi officials have however said that everyone will be welcome in 2034. In Qatar, the FA and other European FAs abandoned a OneLove armband protest following FIFA’s threat of sporting sanctions.
The FA and Hewitt may have chosen the more diplomatic route this time around as England may consider a bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup. The position also aligns with the the UK’s powerbrokers in Downing Street. Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer courted Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in a bid to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.
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