Saudi Arabia to be named as 2034 World Cup hosts - but questions still hang over 'bidding' process

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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."

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.

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 alms.

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 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.

-SKY NEWS