FIFA Ethics and Regulations Watch organised a significant event titled “Why World Cup must not be Saudi Arabia but Europe.” The event took place on Thursday 17 Oct 2024, from 18:00- 20:00. It delivered much time for in-depth analysis and discussion. The Panel of Distinguished Speakers included Claudio Misseri, Paola Barbarini and Sergio Gnovi.
Speakers urged FIFA not to permit Saudi Arabia to host the World Cup, citing its ongoing violations of human rights in several areas that breach FIFA’s policies. The discussions also demonstrated how Europe could be the best option to host the Football World Cup. Attendees partook commendably and appreciated the event.
Panelists of the event highlighted that under FIFA’s human rights guidelines, nations bidding to host games must commit to stringent human rights and labour norms. In the introduction to FIFA’s “Key Principles of the Reformed Bidding Process,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino notes: “Whoever ends up hosting the FIFA World Cup must … formally commit to performing their activities based on sustainable event management principles and to respecting international human rights and labour standards according to the United Nations’ Guiding Principles.” However, FIFA has so far failed to apply these principles in the award of the 2034 World Cup.
Independent human rights observers, journalists, women’s rights advocates, and other peaceful critics are imprisoned, under house detention, and cannot safely function in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has strict restrictions on journalists and free expression, a basic condition for World Cup hosts. In October 2018, Saudi agents killed and dismembered the Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who had been critical of the Saudi regime, an assassination authorised by the crown prince himself.
According to Amnesty International, Saudi Arabia has failed to fulfil FIFA’s own human rights requirements in its bid for the 2034 men’s World Cup. It has come to light that Saudi Arabia has still failed to achieve fundamental reform of its exploitative labour system or take any step to improve freedom of expression, end the repression of human rights advocates or remove regulations that discriminate against women and LGBTI people.
Also, Human Rights Watch stated that the Global soccer governing body FIFA has violated its own human rights rules in announcing a schedule for hosting the next two men’s World Cups that effectively eradicates bidding and human rights due diligence.
