FIFA World Cup award: A lot of support for Saudi Arabia from Europe

The Swiss Football Association has officially announced its approval of the awarding of the 2030 and 2034 World Cup tournaments – like several other European associations.

The Swiss Association (SFV) announced on Tuesday (December 10, 2024) that it would vote for the award of the two tournaments as planned at the extraordinary digital FIFA Congress on December 11th:

The 211 national associations, including the DFB, only have one vote each to vote on both tournaments as a package. This makes it more difficult to vote against Saudi Arabia because European associations would then vote against Spain and Portugal at the same time. In addition, several high-ranking officials in European football have already confirmed that, according to their information, voting will be done by acclamation – i.e. with approving applause instead of a real vote.

The German Football Association will also agree. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf argued that he “have an influence” want to improve the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia. Human rights organizations had called for the award to be stopped.

SFV President Blanc says: “FIFA has learned”

The Swiss association president, Dominique Blanc, said that he had raised concerns with FIFA and made demands for respect for human rights. “Ultimately, the decisive factor was the candidacy dossier with a far-reaching human rights strategy. This showed us that FIFA and the organizers have learned from Qatar.”said Blanc.

The two human rights organizations Sports & Rights Alliance and Amnesty International had called on FIFA to stop awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia precisely because Saudi Arabia’s human rights strategy, mentioned by Neuendorf and submitted with the application, was inadequate and flawed. With a view to the DFB and the other FIFA members, said the director Andrea Florence of the Sports & Rights Alliance: “If the associations award a World Cup without carrying out the necessary human rights review, the associations are also jointly responsible for violations.”

Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands Approval course

Sweden’s association had also publicly announced its approval. Belgium’s association wrote in a statement in the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet that Saudi Arabia’s bid proves that the organizers want to do everything they can to hold a strong tournament in compliance with international guidelines. “We wish them the best of luck in the organization in collaboration with FIFA”said the Belgian association.

In Denmark, the governance and development committee of the DBU association has already recommended approval for the award. Committee chairwoman Helle Thorning-Schmidt said in the Politics newspaper that the World Cup “may not be used as a venue for political disputes”.

Gijs de Jong, general secretary of the Dutch association KNVB, indicated approval in an interview with the newspaper “Volkskrant” and said that his organization “Lessons from Qatar” have drawn. The lesson for him is: “If we lose the connection, it’s gone. Then all that’s left is confrontation, antagonism. We also noticed that after the World Cup in Qatar. There were problems with the northwest European position around the world. We need permanent dialogue and diplomacy. “ According to de Jong, 150 of the 211 national associations worldwide have already announced their support for Saudi Arabia.

Sweden, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, like Germany, are all part of the group of countries that launched the “One Love” captain’s armband campaign for the World Cup in Qatar as a symbol of human rights. Sweden did not qualify, the other countries took off their armband after FIFA is said to have threatened yellow cards and other unspecified sporting sanctions.

Sweden’s association leader Reinfeldt formulates conditions

Officially, Saudi Arabia, like the potential host countries for 2030, still has to meet the criteria of the application process in order to be allowed to vote. FIFA announced that it would publish the relevant test reports before the award. Saudi Arabia and the other countries had to have one “independent risk assessment” in matters of human rights with your application.

The document for Saudi Arabia’s bid, drawn up by a Riyadh-based law firm, has been criticized by human rights organizations as flawed and inadequate. Compliance with human rights is required in the FIFA regulations in connection with the World Cup. The general human rights situation in a host country is not a criterion for the award.

Sweden’s “yes” was conditional. FIFA’s test reports on the applications, which have not yet been published, must ensure compliance with the rules, said SvFF chairman Fredrik Reinfeldt in the statement. This also includes human rights. SvFF boss Reinfeldt sees FIFA as responsible: “We have an organization that represents us and has to play by its own rules.”

Human rights activist: National associations in case of violations jointly responsible

Florence from the Sports and Rights Alliance criticized that there were already violations in connection with the rights of guest workers in Saudi Arabia. Eleven new stadiums are being built and almost 200,000 new hotel rooms are to be created. “And on this point we urgently need to learn lessons from Qatar. The world has seen that the stadiums were built on the deaths of foreign workers. We must not allow this to be repeated in Saudi Arabia.”said Florence. She is calling for a stop to the award.

Sweden criticizes “lack of competition”

The Swedish association criticized a lack of competition. Reinfeldt also said: “We believe that future processes should ensure that there are more candidates.” The fact that there is only one applicant for both tournaments and that both tournaments are awarded at the same time was also criticized by Miguel Maduro, FIFA’s former head of governance. There is a lack of competition and agreements are encouraged, said Maduro in an interview with the Sportschau.