Brussels – Human rights or million-dollar deals? The World Cup in Saudi Arabia turns the spotlight back on a Europe divided, torn between the values it promotes and the business deals it seeks to close. Some say ‘no’ to choosing the Middle Eastern country as the home of the top soccer competition in 2034. In a letter, a group of 14 MEPs from the Greens, Socialists, and the Left are calling on FIFA to “halt” the selection process for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia ” until proper human rights protections are in place to avoid worsening an already dire situation.”
However, the request clashes with FIFA’s willingness to move forward and represents a clear and precise choice by the EU to invest precisely in the country. FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom responded to MEPs. He explained that despite invitations to the federations of Asia and Oceania to submit bids for the 2034 edition of the World Cup, Saudi Arabia “was ultimately the only candidate.” So, either there or no event.
Human rights issues. True that the situation is somewhere between dramatic and disastrous, the latest report by Freedom House, the Washington-based international non-governmental organization, paints the Saudi monarchy as one of the worst systems in the world. In fact, it states that the country has almost no civil liberties. Not surprisingly, parliamentarians complain that, given the context, “the risks in Saudi Arabia are so high that hosting the tournament there would likely lead to serious and widespread rights violations.” FIFA’s Secretary General also presses forward.
First, Grafstrom explains, “it is not about peremptorily excluding countries based on their general human rights context” but rather, considering the commitments made, as in the case of the Saudi Kingdom, and the “positive social changes over the medium- to long-term horizon.” The latter criterion entails some risks, the biggest being breaking promises the day after the World Cup final.
Carolina Morace (M5S/the Left), one of the signatories of the letter sent to FIFA, has doubts. “FIFA’s assurances are not enough for us because they are based on announcements.” In Saudi Arabia, the rights of workers, women, and the LGBT community “are still in the Middle Ages, and we, with the showcase represented by the World Cup, risk legitimizing this lack of freedom,” she said. For this reason, “FIFA must monitor compliance with the reforms promised by Saudi Arabia and be ready to change host countries if full respect for the rights of fans, but also of its citizens, is not guaranteed,” she added.
However, FIFA does not seem to have any intention of changing the assignee country of the 2034 World Cup because, as the organization’s Secretary General put it, FIFA operates “in line with the policies and practices of the European Union,” and the European Union has invested so much in Saudi Arabia, politically and economically.
FIFA’s Secretary General reminds MEPs how bilateral trade in goods reached €75 billion in 2023, EU investment in Saudi Arabia increased by 50 percent between 2020 and 2022 (from €19.9 billion to €30 billion), and “important milestones, such as the strategic partnership between the EU and Saudi Arabia on energy and technology currently under discussion.” It is no surprise since the Arab country boasts the world’s sixth-largest natural gas reserves and the EU has torn up contracts with Gazprom.
In addition, he continues, “opening of the first European Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia in May underscores the EU’s commitment to the region.” Why shouldn’t FIFA invest where the EU is investing, and a lot? Like the European Union, Graftstrom admits, “FIFA and the world football community are trying to support the sporting potential of this region.”
The European Union thus remains a victim of its dual nature: the values it claims to uphold and the money that fills its pockets. Where is the scandal? In Riyadh or Brussels? The future will judge. First, however, sit back and enjoy the show with the World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
