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The Australian Professional Footballers Union has slammed FIFA after the governing body awarded 2034 World Cup hosting rights to Saudi Arabia following the conclusion of the FIFA Congress on 11 December 2024.
The Union did not welcome the decision and mentioned the severe human rights issues that are at risk in the Gulf nation. They also questioned FIFA's ability and readiness to prevent the continuation of human rights violations in Saudi Arabia.
The official statement
Professional Footballers Australia head Beau Busch stated the following in an email to Reuters:
The significant human rights risks linked to this tournament are well-documented,
By securing hosting rights to the global game’s most prestigious event, Saudi Arabia and FIFA must ensure the rights of everyone affected by the 2034 Men’s World Cup are upheld and safeguarded.
However, FIFA’s ongoing governance failures and lack of accountability to its own human rights commitments leave no assurance that harm can or will be prevented.
Read Also | Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid: FIFA is reportedly overlooking reports on human rights abuses
The discussions
The awarding of the 2034 FIFA World Cup hosting rights to Saudi Arabia has sparked controversy in a never-seen manner, as human rights activists, including the Australian Association and LGBTQ activists, have all expressed concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights records.
Additionally, migrant worker groups and trade unions have also raised alarms about the potential exploitation of workers in the World Cup after the issues that were raised years before the Qatar World Cup commenced in 2022. According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia has denied accusations of human rights abuses and said that it protects its national security through its laws.
This is not the first time that people related to Australian football have been vocal critics of human rights issues around the globe. Australian national men's football team released a video message condemning Qatar's record on human rights and LGBTQ+ rights ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Football Australia, the governing body of Australian football, supported the players' stance and later objected to Saudi Arabia's sponsorship of the 2023 Women's World Cup, citing concerns over the kingdom's human rights record.
A message from the Socceroos. pic.twitter.com/Sd2R6ej8kK
— Subway Socceroos (@Socceroos) October 26, 2022
However, after Qatar in 2022, another World Cup in West Asia will disrupt the traditional football calendar just like it did in 2022. Saudi will supposedly host the World Cup in November-December of 2034 which will significantly affect the footballers. Qatar hosted 32 teams for the 2022 World Cup, but Saudi will host 48 teams as the grand event will need a more expanded and flexible timeframe to organize.