Saudi Arabia given 2034 hosting by round of applause

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Saudia Arabia have been announced as the hosts of 2034 World Cup.

Fabrizio Romano was one of several renowned journalists to share the announcement on X (formerly Twitter). Spain, Portugal and Morocco are set to share hosting duties for the centenary edition of the tournament in 2030.

The vote was carried out by “acclamation” – in other words, by applause – as opposed to a formal tallying of positions by the FIFA Congress. A process that has, understandably, attracted some critique from commentators, not least of all due to Saudi’s decidedly poor human rights record.

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“I leave it to football fans all around the world to decide for themselves what they think of this process,” Kaveh Solhekol spoke on Sky Sports.

“I’m not going to tell you what to think. But football fans all around the world: What do you think when you see those pictures? When you see World Cups being given to countries on the basis of people standing up and applauding and us seeing those pictures on screen?

“And then going to a team of scrutineers who give the thumbs up to say, ‘Yep, everything’s in order. Nothing to see here.’ The World Cup in 2030, Spain, Portugal Morocco. 2023, Saudi Arabia.”

Nonetheless, FIFA President Gianni Infantino promised the World Cup would remain a ‘perfect showcase for a message unity and inclusion’. Quite the statement given that the nation still reportedly, according to Amnesty International, treats citizens’ rights to freedom of association and expression with utter contempt.

Another winter World Cup on the horizon for the Premier League?

FIFA President Gianni Infantino with Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal and Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak.
(Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Controversy and speculation aside, Premier League clubs will have bigger fish to fry in terms of the potential impact on the 2033/34 campaign.

The season in question, far-flung in the future as it indeed is, looks almost certain to be impacted by a likely winter edition of the tournament.

A precedent set by the Qatar World Cup (which featured from November 20 20221 to December 18 2022) could yet be followed in light of Saudi Arabia’s potentially troublesome summer temperatures. The Climate Change Knowledge Portal claims that the nation’s summer temperatures average between 27°C to 43°C (inland areas) and 27°C to 38°C (coastal areas).

In which case, this could be quite disruptive for club competitions – not to mention inciting fresh player welfare concerns ahead of the 2033/34 season.




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