-Deborah Akinyosoye
England’s Football Association said it had received assurances from Saudi Arabia that LGBTQ fans would be “safe and welcome” at the 2034 World Cup, explaining its support for the successful bid from the Gulf state.
FIFA confirmed on Wednesday that the Middle East nation would host the tournament, underlining the kingdom’s growing influence in world sport despite criticism of its human rights record.
At the same time, world football’s governing body confirmed that Morocco, Spain and Portugal will be joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup, in which three games will also be played in South America.
The awarding of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia will make the issue of human rights a major talking point again, just as it was two years ago when the tournament was staged in Qatar.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in closing remarks at Wednesday’s congress that the organisation was “inclusive” and “non-discriminatory”.
“We are of course aware of critics and fears, and I fully trust our hosts to address all open points from this process and deliver a FIFA World Cup which meets expectations,” he added.
The English FA explained its support for the 2030 and 2034 bids in a statement shortly after confirmation of the hosting decisions.
It said the FA board met Saudi football chiefs last month to discuss the bid in detail.
“We asked them to commit to ensuring all fans would be safe and welcome in Saudi Arabia in 2034 — including LGBTQ+ fans,” the FA said.
“They assured us that they are fully committed to providing a safe and welcome environment for all fans.
“Football is a global game and is for everyone. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means being respectful of all, including all religions and cultures.
“We also believe that hosting World Cups can be a catalyst for positive change, which is best delivered by working collaboratively in partnership with host nations.
“We will work with FIFA and (European governing body) UEFA to ensure that commitments to respect all human rights are delivered.”