Saudi Arabia has decided to host the 2034 World Cup. It will become the second Arab nation to host a soccer tournament in the world. On the backdrop of Australia’s decision not to bid for the global soccer tournament in the last minute In a communiqué from Football Australia on Tuesday, it was decided not to compete in the 2034 World Soccer Tournament.
According to the latest BNN world news, the decision by Football Australia not to bid hours before the deadline for FIFA declarations of interest puts Saudi Arabia on track to host an international soccer tournament. In 2022, Qatar hosted the World Cup with little history in football. Many fans are worried about the venue of the World Cup because temperatures in the Gulf nations soar in the summer.
Human rights violations in Saudi Arabia
Human rights violations are galore in Saudi Arabia, with the criminalization of homosexuality and abuses of women’s rights. According to a report by Amnesty International, around 190 people were executed in 2022, the highest number of yearly executions in the past 30 years. In response to an interview, Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince, said bad laws prevail in the nation, and he personally does not like them. However, he has limitations on his ability to intervene in the judiciary system. Rights activists and observers in Saudi Arabia have rejected the assertions of the Saudi Crown Prince.
Invested billions of dollars in sports
Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in international and national sports in the past few years, which is part of the 2030 project intended to diversify its economy away from oil. Human rights groups termed it sportswashing. The Saudi leader ignored their pleas, and he will continue with sportswashing if it helps to improve the nation’s GDP. According to the Guardian’s analysis, the Saudi Kingdom has invested around $6.1 billion in sports between 2021 and 2023.
Saudi Arabia has recruited several soccer legends like Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo to its local teams as part of acquisitions in high-profile sports in recent years. It spent hundreds of millions of dollars on sports contracts. The nation also ramped up investments in other sports like auto racing, golf, boxing, etc. In June 2023, many athletes, commentators, fans, and even lawmakers in the US were angered by the announcement of the sudden merger of the American PGA Tour with the upstart LIV Golf Tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Spain, Morocco, and Portugal to host the 2030 FIFA World
In the latest BNN News, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco will host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, with the opening matches being played in South America. The FIFA council has confirmed the joint bid of the three as sole candidates for the FIFA World Cup 2030. In addition, the council gave the nod to host the centenary celebration in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.
The FIFA World Cup in 2030 will unite six countries and three nations. It invites the whole world to join the beautiful game’s celebration. Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay will be the hosts of centenary celebrations, while Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will host the 2030 tournament. Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, said football and FIFA are uniting the nations in a divided world.