Saudi Arabia’s sports minister can no longer hear the accusation that his government is engaging in sportswashing. “Many of the people who are accusing us of this have never been to Saudi Arabia and have not seen what we do,” Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud told the BBC. According to the government, the immense investments in sport are only part of the “Vision 2030” development plan, with which the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman wants to modernize his country and make it more independent of oil revenues.
Amnesty: Repression is increasing
Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have been accusing those in power in Riyadh for years of wanting to distract from blatant human rights violations with glossy sporting events such as the FIFA Club World Cup. “The human rights situation in Saudi Arabia is deteriorating in many ways,” said Amnesty Deputy Director Stephen Cockburn. “Repression is increasing, especially against anyone who dares to criticize the authorities.”
Billions invested in sport
Saudi Arabia does not lack money to invest in sports projects. Prime Minister Bin Salman is chairman of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund), which claims to have financial resources of 778 billion US dollars, the equivalent of around 710 billion euros. The PIF has been pumping huge amounts of money into sport for years, for example into the new LIV golf tournament series, Formula 1 and also football.
In 2021, the PIF took over 80 percent of the shares in the English Premier League club Newcastle United. Since last June, the Saudi fund has also held 75 percent of the shares in the top domestic clubs Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli and has enabled them to make spectacular transfers of superstars: from Cristiano Ronaldo to Karim Benzema to Neymar.
Club World Cup with Benzema, Haaland and Ortega
The Frenchman Benzema is also playing with his club Al-Ittihad FC at the Club World Cup in Jeddah, where the champions of the continental associations face each other for the last time in the traditional format. The next edition is scheduled for 2025 in the USA, then with 32 teams.
The favorite for the title, which will be awarded in the final on December 22nd, is the European Champions League winner Manchester City. The club’s squad from the English Premier League not only includes star striker Erling Haaland from Norway, a former top scorer for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, but also the only German in this tournament: goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has no problems with Saudi Arabia hosting the event. “These competitions, like the best FIFA Club World Cup ever that we will host here in Saudi Arabia, will inspire girls and boys, women and men all over the world,” Infantino said back in September at the club’s draw -WM. Saudi Arabia’s biggest coup to date was not to follow until a little later.
FIFA laid out the red carpet
The controversial Gulf state will most likely also host the 2034 World Cup. Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for the finals. Infantino and FIFA had, so to speak, laid out the red carpet for the country by awarding the 2030 World Cup to three continents and only the Asian association was considered as the host.
The approval of the FIFA Congress in the last quarter of 2024 is likely to be just a formality after Infantino has already declared the Saudis the World Cup hosts via social media. “The next two editions will take place in Africa (Morocco) and Europe (Portugal, Spain) in 2030, including the three anniversary games in South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) – and in Asia (Saudi Arabia) in 2034,” Infantino wrote on Instagram.