Amnesty International lashed out at Fifa for awarding Saudi Arabia the organisation of the 2034 men’s football World Cup, claiming the move would put lives at risk amid criticism of the country’s human rights record on Wednesday.
The 2030 edition will be held in Spain, Portugal and Morocco with one-off matches in three South American countries, Fifa announced after a vote by acclamation of the single bids.
“Fifa’s reckless decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place will put many lives at risk,” Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of labour rights and sport, said in a statement issued by 21 bodies.
Among those who cosigned the statement were Saudi diaspora human rights organisations, migrant workers’ groups from Nepal and Kenya, international trade unions, fans’ representatives and global human rights organisations.
“Based on clear evidence to date, Fifa knows workers
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