Saudi Arabia to be named as 2034 World Cup hosts – but questions still hang over ‘bidding’ process
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.
Clockwise from top left: The designs for Roshn, Neom, South Riyadh and Prince Mohammed bin Salman stadiums. Pics: Saudi 2034
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.
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.”
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.
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
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.
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Secret behind-the-scenes deal
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
There has been little dissent across world football – even from 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.
She said: “The lack of predictability and open processes challenges trust in FIFA as the global custodian of football.”
The King Abdullah sports city stadium, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Pic: AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
Infantino’s rise and Saudi endorsement
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 a 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
Saudi Arabia’s growing influence on sport
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
Argentina’s Lionel Messi lifts the World Cup in Qatar. Pic: AP
How will the 2034 World Cup work for football?
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.
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Esteve Calzada, the CEO of Al Hilal, told Sky News the example of Qatar strengthened the Saudi bid: “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.
World
Asianmarkets bounce back after Trump pauses higher tariffs for most countries – despite increasing those on China to 125%
Asian markets have reacted positively after Donald Trump paused his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on most of America’s trading partners for 90 days, despite the US president increasing those on China to 125%.
There have been fears of a global recession and stock markets around the world had plummeted after Mr Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on Wednesday 2 April.
However, Japan’s Nikkei share average was up 8.2% by 3.50am BST, while the broader Topix had risen 7.5%.
Similarly, the S&P 500 stock index had jumped 9.5% and global markets bounced back following Mr Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that the increased tariffs on nearly all trading partners would now be paused.
Tariffs latest: Trump gives reasons for pausing some tariffs
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said the “90-day pause” was for the “more than 75 countries” who had not retaliated against his tariffs “in any way”.
He added that during this period they would still have to pay a “substantially lowered” 10% tariff, which is “effective immediately”.
It is lower than the 20% tariff that Mr Trump had set for goods from the European Union, 24% on imports from Japan and 25% on products from South Korea.
The UK was already going to face a blanket 10% tariff under the new system.
Mr Trump said the increased 125% tariff on imported goods from China was “effective immediately”.
He added: “At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realise that the days of ripping off the USA, and other countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable.”
Hours after Mr Trump announced the pause on tariffs for most countries, a White House official clarified that this did not apply to the 25% duties imposed on some US imports from Mexico and Canada.
The tariffs were first announced in February and Mexico and Canada were not included in the “Liberation Day” announcements.
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Donald Trump says China ‘wants to make a deal’
Hours before the 125% tariff on China was revealed, Beijing said it was increasing tariffs on US goods by 50%.
It meant tariffs of 84% would be enforced on US goods – up from the 34% China had previously planned.
Mr Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office. Pic: Reuters
China ‘want to make a deal’
Asked why he posted “BE COOL” on Truth Social hours before announcing his tariff pause, Mr Trump told reporters at the White House: “I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line.”
“They were getting yippy, you know, were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid,” he added.
Mr Trump continued: “China wants to make a deal, they just don’t know how to go about it.
“[They’re] quite the proud people, and President Xi is a proud man. I know him very well, and they don’t know quite how to go about it, but they’ll figure it out.
“They’re in the process of figuring out, but they want to make a deal.”
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the walk back was part of a grand negotiating strategy by Mr Trump.
“President Trump created maximum negotiating leverage for himself,” she said, adding that the news media “clearly failed to see what President Trump is doing here”.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also insisted Mr Trump had strengthened his hand through his tariffs.
“President Trump created maximum negotiating leverage for himself,” he said.
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Mr Bessent said Mr Trump decided to raise tariffs on China because Beijing hadn’t reached out to the US and instead increased its own levies on US goods.
Downing Street said that the UK will “coolly and calmly” continue its negotiations with the US.
A Number 10 spokeswoman said: “A trade war is in nobody’s interests. We don’t want any tariffs at all, so for jobs and livelihoods across the UK, we will coolly and calmly continue to negotiate in Britain’s interests.”
Along the thin strip of beach and woodland known as the Vistula Spit which marks the northernmost demarcation between Poland and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, there is not much in the way of a border.
Just some torn wire fencing and a few rotten posts which seem to stagger drunkenly into the shallows of the Baltic Sea.
Beneath a sign barring entry, we find a couple of empty bottles of Russian cognac and vodka.
It doesn’t feel like the edge of NATO territory.
This doesn’t feel like the edge of NATO territory
“I don’t see much protection. It’s not good,” says Krzysztof from Katowice, who has come to inspect the border himself.
“We have to have some kind of scare tactic, something to show that we are trying to strengthen our army,” says Grzegorz, who lives nearby.
“At the same time I think I would not base the defence of our country solely on our army. I am convinced that Europe or America, if anything were to happen, will help us 100%.”
Poland is investing massively in its defence, with military spending set to hit 4.7% of GDP in 2025, more than any other NATO country.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said he will introduce voluntary military training for men of any age, and women too should they wish, so the army has a competent reserve force in the event of war.
Border between EU and the Russian Federation
He is investing $2.5bn in stronger border fortifications between Russia and Belarus, a project called East Shield which will include anti-tank obstacles, bunkers and potentially minefields too.
Along with its Baltic neighbours, Poland is withdrawing from the Ottawa convention against the use of land mines. It hasn’t committed to using them, but it wants to have that option.
We’ve been granted access to one of the cornerstones of Polish, and European defence, which is a couple of hours drive from the Vistula spit at the Redowicze military base.
Aegis Ashore Poland
Aegis Ashore Poland, together with its sister site in Romania, are the land-based arms of NATO’s missile defence shield over Europe, which is run by the US navy.
They are symbols of the US commitment to NATO and to the protection of Europe.
The control room at Aegis Ashore Poland
And despite changes at the top of the Pentagon it is “business as usual”, says Captain Michael Dwan who oversees air and missile defence within the US Sixth Fleet.
“Our mission to work with NATO forces has been unchanged. And so our commitment from the United States perspective and what capability we bring to ballistic missile defence and the defence of NATO is championed here in Poland.”
The control room at Aegis Ashore Poland
As far as Russia is concerned, NATO’s two missile defence bases in Romania and Poland represent a NATO threat on their doorstep and are therefore a “priority target for potential neutralisation”, per Russia’s foreign ministry.
NATO says the installations are purely defensive and their SM-3 interceptor missiles are not armed and are not intended to carry warheads. Russia counters they could easily be adapted to threaten Russia.
Not the case, Captain Dwan says.
Aegis Ashore Poland
Aegis Ashore Poland
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“It’s not a matter of moving offensive weapons here into the facility, the hardware and the infrastructure is simply not installed.
“It would take months or years to change the mission of this site and a significant amount of money and capability and design.”
With so much marked “secret” on the site, it seems amazing to be granted the access.
But for NATO, transparency is part of deterrence. They want potential adversaries to know how sophisticated their radar and interception systems are.
They know that if they carried warheads on site, that would make them a target so they don’t.
Deterrence also depends on whether potential adversaries believe in the US’s commitment to NATO and to Europe’s defence.
On an operational level, as far as the troops are concerned, that commitment may still be iron-clad.
But as far as its commander-in-chief goes, there is still – as with so much around Donald Trump’s presidency – a great deal of uncertainty.
In the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon President Trump suggested he might bundle a potential US troop drawdown in Europe together with the issue of EU trade and tariffs.
“Nice to wrap it up in one package,” he said, “it’s nice and clean”.
Probably not the way Europe sees it, not with a resurgent Russia on their doorstep, economic tailwinds breeding animosity and the notion of Pax Americana crumbling at their feet.
The defence secretary will urge “coalition of the willing” nations to increase pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine as plans to support peace ramp up.
John Healey and French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu will lead about 30 defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday as they discuss operational plans for a multinational peacekeeping force in Ukraine as part of the “coalition of the willing”.
They will look at each nation’s capabilities and how they could be best used to support Ukraine’s long-term defence and security as part of what the Ministry of Defence called a “reassurance force”.
UK and French military chiefs discussed planning with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his military chiefs in Kyiv last weekend.
Peace negotiations are ongoing between the US and Russia, however, US officials appear to be growing increasingly impatient with the lack of progress after Donald Trump publicly suggested a month ago Vladimir Putin wants to end the war.
Read more: Who’s in and who’s out of the coalition of the willing?
Leaders of nations part of the coalition of the willing at a summit in Paris on 27 March. Pic: AP
Last Tuesday, the Kremlin described the latest US peace proposal as unacceptable in its current form because it does not solve the “root causes” of the conflict.
Mr Putin wants to dismantle Ukraine as an independent, functioning state and has demanded Kyiv recognise Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and other partly occupied areas and pull its forces out, as well as a pledge for Ukraine to never join NATO and to demilitarise.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday Mr Trump is not “going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations” with Moscow.
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Children killed in Russian missile strike
Despite the apparent impasse in talks, the coalition of the willing – which does not include the US – is continuing with its plans for when peace is agreed.
Mr Healey is expected to tell his fellow defence ministers: “We cannot jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war, so we must put even more pressure on Putin and step up our support for Ukraine – both in today’s fight and the push for peace.
“Our commitment is to put Ukraine in the strongest position to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and deter future Russian aggression.”
On Friday, the defence secretary and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, will chair the 27th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels.
The group is an alliance of about 50 countries – all 32 NATO member states, including the US, and about 20 other countries – that has been supporting Ukraine by sending military equipment since Russia invaded in April 2022.
A Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting – including the US defence secretary – in March. Pic: AP
Mr Healey and Mr Pistorius will “drive forward additional military support” as Russia continues to attack Ukraine.
The latest development in the war has seen Mr Zelenskyy say Ukraine has intelligence there are at least 155 Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian military.
On Tuesday, Mr Zelenskyy released a video of a Chinese soldier taken by Ukrainian forces, with another captured by Ukrainian forces, he said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian denied claims there were “many more” Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russians in Ukraine.
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