FIFA President Gianni Infantino is currently traveling to the Arab world with US President Donald Trump and has important FIFA appointments embarrassed. Both are also guests in Saudi Arabia – while human rights organizations warn of the effects of the 2034 World Cup.
Trump is currently undertaking the first trip abroad of his current term. FIFA President Gianni Infantino accompanies him. The goals are the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Maintaining contacts in the highest political circles of the countries involved is important for Infantino. Because while FIFA is organizing the new large club World Cup 2025 and large parts of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. In addition, FIFA has recently concluded important sponsorship contracts with state companies in the Gulf States. At an event in Riad, Trump praised Infantino with a view to the 2034 World Cup. “Stand up, Gianni. Thank you, Gianni”he said. The whole hall rose to applause.
“Saudi Arabia is a football nation that is constantly investing in our beautiful game”wrote Infantino on Instagram and said in a video of the event: “It is a pleasure for me to be in Riad to be in my country.” Identification at Infantino therefore seems to be great with the host of the 2034 World Cup. “I think that for ten years of huge anticipation is imminent”said Infantino with a view of the tournament. Several human rights organizations see it differently.
Workers die “with cruel but avoidable accidents”
Human Rights Watch published a report on Wednesday On the situation of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. People would therefore “In the case of cruel but avoidable accidents, die at work, including falls from buildings, electric shocks and even examinations”.
Numerous workers from abroad will be needed in Saudi Arabia in the coming years. Because eleven stadiums and almost 200,000 hotel rooms are to be rebuilt. Four stadiums are modernized. The human rights organization Fairsquare also criticized in a report on Wednesdaythat the construction work on the projects directly or indirectly associated with the World Cup will in all likelihood that there will be thousands of unexplained deaths among foreign low -wage workers “.
15 venues
This should be the stadiums of the 2034 World Cup
With Amnesty International another human rights organization published a report Regarding the location in Saudi Arabia and giving a view of workers who had traveled to Saudi Arabia, many of whom are exposed to abuse and exploitation in their jobs as household help.
FIFA appointments had to give way because of the trip with Trump
For the trip, Infantino has changed the schedule around the upcoming FIFA congress in Paraguay, an important appointment flew from the program: The session of the FIFA Council, which usually takes place in presence the day before, was pre-moved to last Friday and held in a video count.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (right) on Tuesday with Saudi Arabia’s ruler Crown Prince Mohammed Bin-Salman
An unusual process, but this was the only way to fit the business-important trip with Trump into the program of the FIFA president. Coming from the Arab countries, Infantino is now expected in Paraguay, where the congress begins on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (CEST). The FIFA Congress is the meeting of the 211 member associations of the World Association.
WM 2034 assigned to Saudi Arabia with the support of the DFB
FIFA awarded the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia in December 2024. At that time, the FIFA Council ensured that Saudi Arabia was the only candidate for the 2034 World Cup and a double award of the tournaments 2030 and 2034. The tournament went without competition and coordination by acclamation to Saudi Arabia. The DFB expressly supported the application with the reasoning to be able to bring about improvements in the country.
“FIFA and the national associations that voted for this can never say that they were not aware of the severity of the risks,” said a group of several human rights organizations, unions and fan allies immediately after the World Cup award. Several human rights organizations had in vain to stop the award.