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Football has never seen a stadium as audacious and outlandish before.

A futuristic cliff-top venue will be built 350m above ground when the $1.5trn NEOM megaproject springs up from the Saudi Arabian desert.

There are no limits on ambition or spending to bring the World Cup to the kingdom in 2034 – and no need to win a bidding contest.

After flattering and funding FIFA, Saudi Arabia will today be confirmed as hosts of the 2034 World Cup by acclamation of football nations rather than a vote.

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It is the rapid conclusion to a 14-month process engineered to secure their victory but a strategic success for the kingdom in avoiding a protracted contest.

And scrutiny of the fast-tracked process – ending at a virtual FIFA Congress – has diminished the spotlight on discriminatory laws, human rights violations and working conditions as 15 stadiums are built for its biggest sporting spectacle.

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But FIFA endorses the Saudi view that a World Cup can be a catalyst for change by introducing labour reforms and providing more rights for women.

Bid leader Hammad Albalawi insists: “We are a young nation seizing this opportunity.”

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and FIFA President Gianni Infantino pictured at the 2018 World Cup. Pic: Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
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Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and FIFA President Gianni Infantino pictured at the 2018 World Cup. Pic: Alexei Nikolsky/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

An opportunity that has been facilitated by Gianni Infantino; the Saudis knowing the touch-points to pander to the globe-trotting FIFA president who collects photos for Instagram alongside the powerful and wealthy.

No country – where FIFA does not have offices – has been visited more by him in recent years.

By contrast, he never seemed to visit Australia before it hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2023 to check on preparations.

Even in the midst of Switzerland’s pandemic restrictions, when non-essential travel was advised against from FIFA’s base, Mr Infantino went to Saudi in early 2021 to be filmed talking up the oil-rich country in a government PR video, in a ceremonial sword dance around palaces of Diriyah.

It was clear where his priorities were as the Saudis proved savvy at winning over the governing body holding the keys to the World Cup hosting.

Mr Infantino skipped FIFA’s own large video gaming tournament in Liverpool this August to launch Saudi’s Esports World Cup in Riyadh alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

That was before FIFA officially launched the 2034 bidding process.

And Mr Infantino has not held a single open news conference in the year since being accused of rigging the bidding process to help the Saudis – denying journalists the chance to put the claims to him directly.

On the face of it, Mr Infantino can claim to have introduced a more open and transparent bidding process than his predecessors oversaw with published inspection reports and scoring.

There was also the ability for any country to enter – as long as you were from the Asia or Oceania regions.

And only if you could decide in less than four weeks whether your country could handle and fund a 48-team tournament with 104 matches – beyond nations with an electorate to consider and budgets to balance.

It was all assisted by a behind-the-scenes secret deal that knocked Europe, Africa and South America out of contention – combining their six countries bidding for the 2030 World Cup into a single, unprecedented mammoth tournament plan.

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Those regions then became ineligible to try to host the 2034 tournament.

So all paths – like so many in sport – now lead to Riyadh in 2034.

For Mark Pieth, who advised Sepp Blatter’s FIFA on anti-corruption and governance changes, it is all a “turn for the worse”.

The Swiss law professor told Sky News: “We tried to reform FIFA. What we’re now seeing is quite abominable.

“You have FIFA trying to break all the rules that they’ve given themselves, starting with deciding on two World Cups at the same time, no competition, manipulated reports and finally acclamation instead of a vote.”

The rigging claim would be disputed by FIFA, which yesterday said auditors BDO “concluded that both evaluation processes were executed with objectivity, integrity and transparency”.

Newcastle United fans celebrate the Saudi takeover in 2021. Pic: AP
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Newcastle United fans celebrate the Saudi takeover in 2021. Pic: AP

There has been little dissent across world football – even countries like Germany that took a vocal stand against Qatar while insisting they would not “gloss over” Saudi issues.

The English Football Association has been deliberating over whether to provide a public position on Saudi – a delicate balancing act while considering a future Women’s World Cup bid and needing FIFA on side.

And the FA speaking out on Saudi – if not the FIFA process – would put it at odds with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who was in Riyadh this week for talks with the crown prince.

But one country that has led the charge against FIFA is Norway.

Their football association head, Lise Klaveness, first broke ranks to tell Sky News: “When decisions are made in closed rooms, it’s the opposite of what the reforms were promising us.”

And on Tuesday she confirmed Norway would attempt to abstain – although FIFA is set to avoid a vote.

The King Abdullah sports city stadium, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. Pic: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
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The King Abdullah sports city stadium, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. Pic: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

She said: “The lack of predictability and open processes challenges trust in FIFA as the global custodian of football.”

It was Mr Infantino who was swept to power after the discredited Blatter reign ended in a wave of convictions of football officials after raids in 2015.

And the former general secretary at European governing body UEFA even sat on the reform committee that attempted to curb the powers of FIFA presidents before he ascended to that position himself and adjusted term limits to remain in post longer.

Miguel Maduro, who was forced out as governance chief by Mr Infantino, told Sky News: “They promised a much higher degree of transparency on how the bidding was going to take place. We saw nothing of that type in this process.

“Basically, it is something that was cooked internally, within what I usually call the political cartel that dominates FIFA.”

The pick cannot be reversed.

But there can be moves to protect the conditions of the migrant workforce – already said by Human Rights Watch to exceed 13 million in Saudi – as 15 stadiums and vast wider infrastructure is built up.

Despite none of the stadiums being complete yet, FIFA still gave the Saudis the highest scoring since the inspection process was introduced for World Cup bidding by Mr Infantino.

FIFA’s inspection report did express concerns about “indecent working conditions” and found gaps complying with “international standards” that “contradict Islamic law”.

There are assurances fans will face no discrimination but anti-LGBTQ+ laws remain – a red line the conservative nation cannot cross and unmentioned in the mandatory human rights risk assessment.

Tyson Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May. P:ic: AP Photo/Francisco Seco
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Tyson Fury fights Oleksandr Usyk at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May. P:ic: AP Photo/Francisco Seco

But football is far from the first sport to be seduced by the Saudi riches – helping them cleanse the country’s image and distract from rights issues.

Boxing’s biggest bouts are now there, there has been an attempted takeover of golf by launching the rebel LIV series and a $1m golden ball was added to allow the kingdom to put its lavish imprint on snooker.

Much is bankrolled by the $900bn Public Investment Fund which has owned Newcastle United for three years.

And the sovereign wealth fund has a stake in state oil firm Aramco which became a FIFA sponsor in April.

Streaming platform DAZN, which has close ties to Saudi, seems to have bailed out FIFA’s new 32-team Club World Cup with a reported $1bn global broadcasting deal announced last week without a clear ability to recoup the cash as games air free.

No wonder dissent has been brushed aside by FIFA – even from the US where the Club World Cup will be staged next year followed by the main men’s World Cup in 2026.

Democrat senators Ron Wyden and Dick Durbin wrote to Mr Infantino in October: “The kingdom continues to torture dissidents, engage in extrajudicial killings, discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community, oppress women and religious minorities, exploit and abuse foreign workers, and restrict almost all political rights and civil liberties.”

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Khashoggi’s widow on World Cup

FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi lifts the trophy after winning the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on Dec. 18, 2022. Just over a year on from Messi winning the World Cup, what sporting legacy has it left in Qatar? (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
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Argentina’s Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup in Qatar. Pic: AP

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For many in football – particularly domestic leagues – the bigger concern will be the impact on the calendar.

There are no commitments to stage the tournament in the typical June-July slot, with January-February 2034 looking more likely to avoid clashing with Ramadan and the Hajj.

Qatar 2022’s November-December slot showed how football can accommodate a switch without long-term damage to the club game.

But the message from within Saudi is they are a very different proposition to the first Middle East hosts – even if this World Cup pick is as controversial.

Where Qatar still lacks a vibrant local football culture, Saudi is home to Asia’s most successful team – Al Hilal.

Esteve Calzada, the CEO of Al Hilal, told Sky News: “Qatar World Cup even with so much criticism, I think there is a general consensus it was ultimately a very successful World Cup.

“In our case I’m sure it will be the same. It’s a proper-sized country with passionate fans.”

Now there is a decade to convince the world’s football fans to descend on Saudi Arabia.

FIFA has delivered the sporting prize the crown prince craved in the easiest of football matches to win – one without any opponent.

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Donald Trump sending ‘top of the line’ weapons to support NATO in Ukraine war

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Donald Trump sending 'top of the line' weapons to support NATO in Ukraine war

Donald Trump has agreed to send “top of the line weapons” to NATO to support Ukraine – and threatened Russia with “severe” tariffs if it doesn’t agree to end the war.

Speaking with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte during a meeting at the White House, the US president said: “We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them.

“This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment which is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO, and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield.”

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Donald Trump and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte in the White House. Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

It comes as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a “very good conversation” with Mr Trump late on Monday. He thanked him for the “willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings”.

Weapons being sent from to Ukraine include surface-to-air Patriot missile systems and batteries, which the country has asked for to defend itself from Russian air strikes.

Mr Trump also said he was “very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened “severe tariffs” of “about 100%” if there isn’t a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days.

The White House added that the US would put “secondary sanctions” on countries that buy oil from Russia if an agreement was not reached.

Analysis: Will Trump’s shift in tone make a difference?

As ever, there is confusion and key questions are left unanswered, but Donald Trump’s announcement on Ukraine and Russia today remains hugely significant.

His shift in tone and policy on Ukraine is stark. And his shift in tone (and perhaps policy) on Russia is huge.

Read Mark’s analysis here.

Mr Zelenskyy previously criticised Vladimir Putin’s “desire to drag [the war] out”, and said Kyiv was “working on major defence agreements with America”.

It comes after weeks of frustration from Mr Trump over Mr Putin’s refusal to agree to an end to the conflict, with the Russian leader telling the US president he would “not back down” from Moscow’s goals in Ukraine at the start of the month.

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Trump threatens Russia with ‘severe’ tariffs’

During the briefing on Monday, Mr Trump said he had held calls with Mr Putin where he would think “that was a nice phone call”, but then “missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city, and that happens three or four times”.

“I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy,” he added.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump told Mr Zelenskyy “you’re gambling with World War Three” in a fiery White House meeting, and suggested Ukraine started the war against Russia as he sought to negotiate an end to the conflict.

After Mr Trump’s briefing, Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev said on Telegram: “If this is all that Trump had in mind to say about Ukraine today, then all the steam has gone out.”

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Meanwhile, Mr Zelenskyy met with US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv, where they “discussed the path to peace” by “strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe”.

He thanked both the envoy for the visit and Mr Trump “for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries”.

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Trump announces weapons deal with NATO to help Ukraine – as he gives Putin 50-day ultimatum

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Trump announces weapons deal with NATO to help Ukraine - as he gives Putin 50-day ultimatum

Donald Trump has agreed to send “top of the line weapons” to NATO to support Ukraine – and threatened Russia with “severe” tariffs if it doesn’t agree to end the war.

Speaking with NATO secretary general Mark Rutte during a meeting at the White House, the US president said: “We’ve made a deal today where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them.

“This is billions of dollars worth of military equipment which is going to be purchased from the United States,” he added, “going to NATO, and that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield.”

Follow the latest here

Weapons being sent include surface-to-air Patriot missile systems and batteries, which Ukraine has asked for to defend itself from Russian air strikes.

Donald Trump and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte in the White House. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

Mr Trump also said he was “very unhappy” with Russia, and threatened “severe tariffs” of “about 100%” if there isn’t a deal to end the war in Ukraine within 50 days.

The White House added that the US would put “secondary sanctions” on countries that buy oil from Russia if an agreement was not reached.

It comes after weeks of frustration from Mr Trump against Vladimir Putin’s refusal to agree to an end to the conflict, with the Russian leader telling the US president he would “not back down” from Moscow’s goals in Ukraine at the start of the month.

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Trump says Putin ‘talks nice and then bombs everybody’

During the briefing on Monday, Mr Trump said he had held calls with Mr Putin where he would think “that was a nice phone call,” but then “missiles are launched into Kyiv or some other city, and that happens three or four times”.

“I don’t want to say he’s an assassin, but he’s a tough guy,” he added.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump told Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy “you’re gambling with World War Three” in a fiery White House meeting, and suggested Ukraine started the war against Russia as he sought to negotiate an end to the conflict.

After Mr Trump’s briefing, Russian senator Konstantin Kosachev said on Telegram: “If this is all that Trump had in mind to say about Ukraine today, then all the steam has gone out.”

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Meanwhile, Mr Zelenskyy met with US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv, where they “discussed the path to peace” by “strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, joint production, and procurement of defence weapons in collaboration with Europe”.

He thanked both the envoy for the visit and Mr Trump “for the important signals of support and the positive decisions for both our countries”.

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At least 30 dead and 100 injured as armed groups clash in Syria, officials say

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At least 30 dead and 100 injured as armed groups clash in Syria, officials say

At least 30 people have been killed in the Syrian city of Sweida in clashes between local military groups and tribes, according to Syria’s interior ministry.

Officials say initial figures suggest around 100 people have also been injured in the city, where the Druze faith is one of the major religious groups.

The interior ministry said its forces will directly intervene to resolve the conflict, which the Reuters news agency said involved fighting between Druze gunmen and Bedouin Sunni tribes.

It marks the latest episode of sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minority groups have increased since Islamist-led rebels toppled President Bashar al Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces.

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In March, Sky’s Stuart Ramsay described escalating violence within Syria

The violence reportedly erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida.

Last April, Sunni militia clashed with armed Druze residents of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, and fighting later spread to another district near the capital.

But this is the first time the fighting has been reported inside the city of Sweida itself, the provincial capital of the mostly Druze province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports the fighting was centred in the Maqwas neighbourhood east of Sweida and villages on the western and northern outskirts of the city.

It adds that Syria’s Ministry of Defence has deployed military convoys to the area.

Western nations, including the US and UK, have been increasingly moving towards normalising relations with Syria.

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UK aims to build relationship with Syria

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Read more from Sky News:
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Concerns among minority groups have intensified following the killing of hundreds of Alawites in March, in apparent retaliation for an earlier attack carried out by Assad loyalists.

That was the deadliest sectarian flare-up in years in Syria, where a 14-year civil war ended with Assad fleeing to Russia after his government was overthrown by rebel forces.

The city of Sweida is in southern Syria, about 24 miles (38km) north of the border with Jordan.

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