FIFA’s Saudi Arabia evaluation ‘an astonishing whitewash’ – Amnesty

FIFA has been accused of an “astonishing whitewash” over Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup bid.

The Middle East kingdom was given a record score in a FIFA evaluation report published late on Friday, paving the way for its hosting of the finals in 12 years’ time to be rubberstamped at FIFA Congress on December 11, where it is the sole bidder.

The Saudi bid was deemed medium risk on human rights criteria, despite warnings from Amnesty International that migrant workers will die in preparing the country to host the tournament without huge reform.

It was also deemed low risk on sustainability and environmental protection.

The record score was also awarded despite no clarity on when the tournament could be played, with the report highlighting daytime temperatures in the capital Riyadh being in excess of 40 degrees Celsius in the traditional World Cup months of June and July.

“FIFA’s evaluation of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup is an astonishing whitewash of the country’s atrocious human rights record,” Amnesty’s head of labour rights and sport Steve Cockburn said.

“The sports body has decided to ignore the clear evidence of worker exploitation, legalised discrimination and severe repression, and press ahead with a predetermined decision.

“At every stage of the process, FIFA has ensured that nothing would stand in the way of Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup and it has effectively discarded its human rights policies to achieve this end.

“Unless huge human rights reforms are introduced, people will be exploited, evicted from their homes and even die as a result.”

A separate report concerning the plight of migrant workers at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was also finally published late on Friday – 11 months after it was completed.

It