2023-11-01 11:10:14
Saudi Arabia in 2034
“The day football died” – the awarding of the World Cup polarized
Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. An expert for the region gives an assessment and speaks of the “exorbitant social significance” of football there.
Published1. November 2023, 12:10
The awarding of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia is polarizing.
The biggest point of criticism: the human rights situation.
However, not everyone sees the event negatively.
Unrivaled – that’s how you could do it 2034 World Cup awarded to Saudi Arabia probably best described. Following Australia’s withdrawal on Tuesday, the desert state was awarded the FIFA World Cup in eleven years, subject to approval by the Fifa Congress. This causes a lot of discussion – often it’s about human rights.
For the head of Human Rights Watch Germany, a World Cup in Saudi Arabia is absurd. He thinks “nothing at all” about a World Cup there in 2034, said HRW Germany director Wenzel Michalski in an interview with the German Press Agency. For him, a World Cup in Saudi Arabia would actually mean betraying all those who believe FIFA can actually implement its existing human rights standards. There was already massive criticism of FIFA during the World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year. Michalski said he didn’t want to compare the two countries. The human rights situation in Saudi Arabia is even worse than in Qatar.
Award is not surprising
Despite all the criticism, the award is not at all surprising. “After the investments that we are currently seeing in football and sport in general, a football World Cup is the logical climax and in a certain way also the continuation of what Qatar has done,” said the Islamic and political scientist Sebastian Sons of the DPA.
The 42-year-old is, among other things, an expert on sports policy in the Arabian Gulf region. Football has an “exorbitant social significance” in Saudi Arabia. This offers opportunities for sporting and political exchange. The scientist said that one should say goodbye to the idea that political circumstances would change as a result of a World Cup.
By the way: It is currently unclear whether the World Cup will take place in summer or winter. However, due to the high summer temperatures in Saudi Arabia, a Winter World Cup will probably become a reality again.
You can read how the 20 Minutes Community and social media users find the next Desert World Cup in the photo gallery above.
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