Human Rights Groups Condemn FIFA Over Saudi Arabia World Cup

Several international human rights organisations have criticised FIFA for disregarding its human rights commitments after awarding the hosting of the 2034 Men’s World Cup to Saudi Arabia, a nation that allows for the death penalty for homosexuality.

On 11 December, FIFA, the global governing body for football, announced that Saudi Arabia would host the tournament following what it described as “a thorough bidding process.”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino claimed the World Cup was “a unique catalyst as well for positive social change and unity.”

However, this decision contradicts FIFA’s stated commitment to human rights. According to ILGA World, Saudi Arabia is one of six UN member states where the death penalty remains a legal punishment for individuals found guilty of consensual same-sex relationships. (The others include Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Yemen, and several Nigerian states.)

In Saudi Arabia, LGBTQ+ individuals face severe repression. There are no legal protections against discrimination, and people can be sentenced to indefinite imprisonment, fines, or flogging. Those detained have previously suffered beatings and torture.

In a joint statement, 21 global human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, described FIFA’s decision as “a moment of great danger.”

“By awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without meaningful protections, FIFA has… decided both to ignore our warnings and discard its own human rights policies,” the groups said.

The organisations highlighted Saudi Arabia’s exploitation of migrant workers, imprisonment of activists for peaceful expression, and systemic discrimination against women and LGBTQ+ individuals.

“Without urgent action and comprehensive reforms, the 2034 World Cup will be tarnished by repression, discrimination, and exploitation on a massive scale,” they warned.

The groups also stated, “In the process of awarding the 2034 World Cup, FIFA’s human rights policies have been exposed as a sham.”

The organisations vowed to mobilise the global human rights community to ensure that any violations during the World Cup are not overlooked. They pledged to push for fundamental reforms to protect lives and promote freedoms.

“The Saudi authorities, FIFA, national Football Associations, FIFA sponsors and companies involved in the World Cup – or profiting hugely from it – all have human rights obligations and responsibilities,” the statement continued. “We will seek to hold them accountable.”

FIFA faced similar condemnation for awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a country notorious for its persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals and other human rights violations.