FIFA score Saudi World Cup bid highly despite human rights fears

Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 men’s World Cup has been deemed 'medium risk’ for human rights in FIFA’s evaluation report, amid warnings migrant workers will die in preparing the country to stage the tournament.

The document also leans towards the likelihood of a second World Cup played in the winter – during the regular European club season – as was the case for Qatar in 2022 when the finals were played in November and December.

The bid also secured a record score of 419.8 out of 500, better than 2026 hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The bid evaluation report has been published by FIFA ahead of a vote by its member national associations on 11 December, where Saudi Arabia are the sole bidders.

Human rights campaigners Amnesty International called for a halt to that vote earlier this month, with its head of labour rights and sport Steve Cockburn saying: "Fans will face discrimination, residents will be forcibly evicted, migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die."

The bid evaluation report scores Saudi Arabia as medium risk for human rights, acknowledging the "significant effort and time" needed to implement reforms.

However, it adds: "It is important to note that the bid involves significant opportunities for positive human rights impact. There is a good potential that the tournament could serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms and contribute to positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region that go beyond the scope of the tournament itself."

Amnesty has also pointed out the country’s repressive laws on same-sex relationships and freedom of expression.

The report notes that "the bidder (Saudi) commits to ensuring a secure and inclusive tournament