English Football Association Supports Saudi 2034 World Cup Bid Following Fan Safety Pledges

The King Abdullah Sports City Stadium is one of 15 stadiums in line to host games in 2034. The Football Association (FA) has confirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup, after receiving assurances that all fans would be safe and welcome. As expected, the governing body for English football endorsed the Saudi bid and a multi-nation hosting of the 2030 World Cup at Wednesday afternoon’s online Fifa Congress, where the tournament hosts were officially confirmed. Following the meeting, the FA issued a statement, declaring: “Our focus is on ensuring that all our fans can attend and enjoy tournaments.” The FA board had convened with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation last month to delve deeper into their bid. During this discussion, the FA stated: “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.” It is understood that some senior FA officials harbored reservations about potential accusations of hypocrisy if the association were to withhold support for Saudi Arabia while simultaneously wishing for England’s participation. The FA will also be mindful of its previous concession to Fifa’s threats of sporting sanctions during the Qatar World Cup, when it and several other associations abandoned plans for players to wear ‘OneLove’ armbands, which were intended as an anti-discrimination protest. However, with a potential joint bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup on the horizon, the British football federations may have been eager to avoid a disagreement with Fifa. Furthermore, the FA would have been cognizant of Saudi Arabia’s significance to the UK Government as a crucial ally in the Middle East. This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited the country’s Crown Prince in an effort to strengthen economic ties between the two nations. Last year, Jake Daniels, the UK’s sole openly gay active male professional footballer, informed the BBC that he “wouldn’t feel safe” at a Saudi World Cup. When questioned by BBC Sport last year about what he would convey to female and gay fans concerned about their safety if they were to attend, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, the country’s sports minister, responded that “everyone is welcome”. It is important to note that same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia emerged as the sole contender for the 2034 event. Meanwhile, the 2030 World Cup was awarded to the unopposed co-hosts Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, with initial matches also scheduled to take place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. Instead of a conventional vote, the ratification process was confirmed through acclamation, with federations in favor requested to demonstrate their support by applauding for each bid sequentially. Norway’s football federation abstained from the vote, asserting that the bidding process “undermines Fifa’s own reforms for good governance.” Conversely, on Friday, the DFB – Germany’s national football association – declared its intention to vote in favor of both bids. DFB president Bernd Neuendorf stated: “We did not make the decision lightly and carefully examined the application for the 2034 World Cup. We take the criticism of the applicant country seriously and will continue to engage in dialogue. Our goal is to work together with Fifa to improve the situation in the coming years.”