FIFA has confirmed Morocco, Spain and Portugal as the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2030, while Saudi Arabia will host the tournament in 2034.
These hosts were announced yesterday (11 December) at a conference, which was virtually attended by all 211 FIFA member associations.
In addition to Morocco, Spain and Portugal hosting the majority of the 2030 tournament, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will each host a match. These three matches are said to celebrate the 100th year of the World Cup – the first edition was held in Uruguay.
According to Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, this divided World Cup is an “incredible message of unity”.
He said: “In today’s divided world, where it seems that nobody can agree any more on anything, to be able to agree on something like that is definitely an incredible message of unity and positivity. And we need these messages today.”
Leading up to the 2030 World Cup, there were a lot of nations looking at the possibility of playing host, though Morocco, Spain and Portugal were the only countries to submit a bid.
Officially backed by UEFA and with no competition, their bid has been set in stone for some time. Amnesty International, a global non-governmental organisation focused on human rights, raised concerns about this lack of choice in June.
The organisation’s worries multiplied after Saudi Arabia was the only country to submit a bid for 2034, a nation that has a history of poor human rights records.
Publishing a 91-page report, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sports, Steve Cockburn, said: “With only a single bid to host each tournament and major human rights concerns surrounding both, there are huge questions about FIFA’s willingness to stand by the pledges and reforms it has made in recent years, including exercising its right to reject any bid which does not meet its stated human rights requirements.”
Nevertheless, FIFA has stressed that both future hosts have passed FIFA evaluations and that these tournaments will be a “catalyst for positive social change”.
Infantino added: “The FIFA World Cup is unique, and it is a unique catalyst as well for positive social change and unity because these tournaments, 2030, the celebration, 2034 – they are tournaments to unite, not to divide. They are tournaments, of course, to discuss, to debate and to act. But most importantly, today is a day of unity and a day of celebration.
“Seven countries have won their World Cup today. Congratulations to Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Saudi Arabia. This is your day. So you should celebrate and we, we celebrate, of course, with you.
“And you, the 211 FIFA Member Associations that I can see on a giant screen in front of me, you are uniting the world. You are uniting the world truly, through football, because, of course, football unites the world.”
Further criticism
FIFA has also attracted a lot of attention at the club level in recent months, with players unions unhappy with the governing body’s decision to expand its FIFA Club World Cup. This is due to the football calendar becoming busier in recent years, with UEFA also expanding its tournaments this year.
In September, Insider Sport heard Aston Villa’s John McGinn share his thoughts on the Club World Cup at a press conference.
Noting the effect a lack of rest has on mental health, McGinn said: “Football at this level obviously brings amazing highs but tremendous lows at the same time. So it’s like that, and at the end of the season, you just want to go right, hands up.
“But now the teams in that club World Cup, they’re not going to have any time to do that. So, people’s health is the most important thing.”
This calendar issue is further complicated by playing in the Middle East, with the 2034 tournament already likely to be held in January.
Unsurprisingly, profit seems to be the main motivator for FIFA’s decisions with Saudi Arabia promising investments, which have already changed other sports – boxing has recently undergone massive changes following Saudi investment.
This want for profit is also being demonstrated with the aforementioned Club World Cup, which is set to be held in the US next year and is reportedly expected to be held there again in 2029 due to the sponsorship opportunities and commercialisation that North America provides.
Despite Infantino’s grand and positive speech, Amnesty International and other stakeholders in football are not convinced and there may be scope for a boycott.
In reaction to the announcement, Cockburn said: “FIFA knows workers will be exploited and even die without fundamental reforms in Saudi Arabia, and yet has chosen to press ahead regardless.”
