FIFA inspection praises Saudi Arabia bid to host 2034 World Cup ahead of Dec. 11 decision
Associated PressGENEVA — Ahead of giving Saudi Arabia the men’s 2034 World Cup to host, FIFA approved the quality of its bid in a 110-page evaluation Saturday that noted higher risks related to human rights in the oil-rich kingdom. On Dec. 11, in a scheduled online meeting of 211 national soccer federations, FIFA will ask them to acclaim without an itemized vote both Saudi Arabia for the 2034 World Cup — for which only Asian and Oceania members could bid — and the Spain-Portugal-Morocco co-hosting bid for the 2030 edition. The FIFA report said “it is important to note that the bid involves significant opportunities for positive human rights impact.” Concerns about a Saudi-hosted World Cup include that it will repeat the issues seen in neighboring Qatar’s 12 years of preparing to host the 2022 World Cup. “As expected, FIFA’s evaluation of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid is an astonishing whitewash of the country’s atrocious human rights record,” London-based Amnesty International said in a statement Saturday.