“FIFA is committed to complying with all internationally recognized human rights and is committed to protecting these rights.” That is the central sentence in the human rights policy of the world football association. FIFA gave him a special mention.
FIFA adopted this commitment in 2017. At that time, the association was under pressure because of the conditions in Qatar – human rights organizations and journalists uncover how workers in the World Cup host country were being exploited. FIFA’s message to the world: We understand – we will live up to our responsibilities in the future.
Responsibility for human rights only on paper
But with the awarding of the Club World Cup to Saudi Arabia, FIFA shows once again that the association still hasn’t understood anything. Responsibility for human rights only exists on paper.
Because the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia is probably even worse than in neighboring Qatar. Migrant workers need government approval to change jobs. Political prisoners are tortured. Homosexuality is punishable. In 2018, a Saudi commando murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was critical of the regime.
None of this prevents FIFA from awarding the Club World Cup to Saudi Arabia. After all, unlike in Qatar, there is actually a grown football culture in the country. Football is a national sport, as was also evident during the World Cup when the Saudi fans were among the loudest in Qatar.
FIFA fails to exercise due diligence
Enthusiasm for football, lots of money and a monarchy that can implement its wishes without much consideration for an opposition – if beer were still allowed in Saudi Arabia, the desert state would probably be the absolute dream host for FIFA President Gianni Infantino. But in Qatar, FIFA showed that, when in doubt, they can live without beer stands at the stadium.
And FIFA can apparently live very well with not fulfilling its duty of care in matters of human rights – although it also promises this in the human rights policy. It states that FIFA intends to take action based on in-depth due diligence so as not to cause negative human rights impacts.
When asked, FIFA does not want to or cannot publicly answer what this due diligence check looked like. This gives a foretaste of how FIFA will act in the event of a possible – and very likely – Saudi Arabia bid for the 2030 World Cup.
No criticism from the football world – not even from the DFB
FIFA can also allow itself this behavior because there has been hardly any criticism from the football world itself. During the World Cup, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf boasted that his association was fundamentally opposed to FIFA. However, the association does not manage to evaluate the award of the Club World Cup to Saudi Arabia, despite two requests from Deutschlandfunk.
In football, the DFB has not been represented at the top of the world for years. But when it comes to ducking away, the association is still world class.