FA backed Saudi Arabia to host 2034 World Cup but wants LGBT fans to be protected

The Football Association backed the Saudi Arabia World Cup after directly demanding in recent weeks that LGBT England fans would not be arrested.

As Fifa was accused by human-rights groups of presiding over a “sham”, the FA said it secured assurances that protections will be met in Riyadh.

On Wednesday, home nations were among more than 200 governing bodies to wave through Saudi 2034 and the three-continental bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal for 2030.

Amnesty International and 20 other human-rights organisations immediately published a joint statement condemning a “moment of great danger” for human rights. “At every stage of this bidding process, Fifa has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham,” Amnesty added.

With homosexuality a crime in Saudi Arabia, the FA said it had met the kingdom’s football federation before backing the bid. The authority for English football said it had conducted “a careful review” of both the 2030 and 2034 unopposed bids, which were “technically strong”.

“Our focus is on ensuring that all our fans can attend and enjoy tournaments,” the FA added in a statement sent to Telegraph Sport. “The FA Board met the Saudi Arabian Football Federation last month to discuss their bid in more detail. We asked them to commit to ensuring all fans would be safe and welcome in Saudi Arabia in 2034 – including LGBTQ+ fans. They assured us that they are fully committed to providing a safe and welcome environment for all fans.”

Fifa delegates told to applaud Saudi Arabia

Having called for the tournaments to be approved by the “acclamation” of applause rather than a physical vote, Gianni Infantino, Fifa’s president, said the verdict had been “loud and clear”.

But Wednesday’s meeting in Zurich – with nations only able to call in via video link – was essentially a formality, Saudi Arabia knowing for a year that it was guaranteed the tournament.

The kingdom, which has presided over an unprecedented era of investment in sport over the past three years, had pivoted from a 2030 bid to 2034 last year, to ensure it was the only runner.

By October last year, Fifa said there were no rival offerings for the two tournaments, making Wednesday’s decision little more than a formality. On Tuesday, the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) said it would vote against the awarding of hosting rights by acclamation, if given the chance.

But sources in the Saudi bid team told Telegraph Sport there was confidence the nation would be handed the tournament even if Fifa agreed to a formalised vote. Germany and Denmark were among 80 per cent of nations confirming directly they were backing Saudi Arabia.

The FA did not show its hand until Wednesday, but then confirmed in a statement: “Football is a global game, and is for everyone. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means being respectful of all, including all religions and cultures. We also believe that hosting World Cups can be a catalyst for positive change, which is best delivered by working collaboratively in partnership with host nations. We will work with Fifa and Uefa to ensure that commitments to respect all human rights are delivered.”

Saudi Arabia is seen as a key political and strategic ally for Great Britain, a point highlighted by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer holding a meeting with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh earlier this week.

Before Infantino invited delegates to approve the tournaments via applause, the Saudis had delivered a pitch to delegates fronted by two 13-year-old children speaking from Riyadh. The pair referenced the kingdom’s growing young population in their address before a Saudi promotional video, and then declared that “we are opening up to the world... it will be a tournament that promises to be the best in Fifa’s history”.

As Infantino then invited nations to approve the plans, there was then widespread support shown on video screens showing more than 200 nations clapping.

‘The final betrayal of justice’

A second Gulf World Cup, after the tournament in Qatar, faces a backlash just as ferocious as 2022, however. Critics question how a World Cup candidacy score of 4.2 out of 5 – the highest ever – had been awarded a fortnight ago when 11 of the 15 stadiums have not yet been built. Alleged state involvement in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi six years still casts a cloud, too.

Rodney Dixon KC, previously the lawyer for Khashoggi’s widow Hatice Cengiz and author of a legal submission to Fifa with other human-rights experts, told Telegraph Sport: “By awarding the biggest tournament in the footballing world to Saudi Arabia, Fifa has let off the hook the perpetrators of one of the most scandalous killings of our time. It is the final betrayal of justice for Jamal. It signals that others could commit such blatant crimes and still be awarded the World Cup. Not only does it contravene Fifa’s own human-rights policy, it tramples on the basic tenets of international law.”

The storm around Saudi Arabia has meant approval for the other tournament in 2030 has passed almost under the radar. Under Morocco, Spain and Portugal’s combined proposal, the 2030 World Cup will take place across three continents and six countries to mark the tournament’s centenary, with South American nations Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay hosting celebratory games.

In 2022, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay submitted a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, but Fifa announced last year that Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay would instead each host one match during the tournament.

‘Human rights abuses will follow’

As the extraordinary meeting began, a host of critics raised immediate concerns about the tournament in Saudi Arabia. Fifa acknowledged a letter from the Norwegian FA highlighting worries while Mogens Jensen, a Council of Europe general rapporteur on governance and ethics in sport, said in an earlier statement: “Unfortunately, so far it does not appear that Fifa is adhering to its own eligibility and evaluation criteria for the selection of host countries, particularly when it comes to human-rights conditionalities.

“The organisation is yet to impose binding demands on Saudi Arabia for reforms in key areas such as labour rights, freedom of expression, gender equality and anti-discrimination. I strongly urge Fifa to ensure and clearly demonstrate that binding requirements for reform in these areas will be imposed on Saudi Arabia before approval of its bid to host the 2034 World Cup.”

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of labour rights and sport, said of the announcement: “Fifa’s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human-rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk.

“Based on clear evidence to date, Fifa knows workers will be exploited and even die without fundamental reforms in Saudi Arabia, and yet has chosen to press ahead regardless. The organisation risks bearing a heavy responsibility for many of the human-rights abuses that will follow.

“At every stage of this bidding process, Fifa has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham. Meanwhile, its continued failure to compensate migrant workers who were exploited in Qatar provides scant confidence that lessons have been learned. Fifa must urgently change course and ensure that the World Cup is accompanied by wide-ranging reforms in Saudi Arabia, or risk a decade of exploitation, discrimination and repression connected to its flagship tournament.”