Saudi Arabia is slowly becoming a powerful force in the football world. From Newcastle United to Cristiano Ronaldo joining the Saudi Pro League, Saudi Arabia has been flourishing in the sport. They are also the lone bidder for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, but that plan has received a huge setback.

According to the Amnesty International and the Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA), the World Cup should not be awarded to Saudi Arabia as it could lead to major human rights issues.

In a new report, Amnesty and SRA evaluated Morocco, Spain and Portugal, who received the 2030 World Cup hosting rights, and Saudi Arabia. The report concluded that “neither bid adequately outlines how the would-be host nation would meet the human rights standards required by FIFA in its bidding regulations, nor did these bids show evidence of having meaningfully consulted with human rights organisations.”

Both Amnesty and SRA have stated there are high risks in awarding hosting rights to Saudi Arabia.

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport, said, “There will be a real and predictable human cost to awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without obtaining credible guarantees of reform. Fans will face discrimination, residents will be forcibly evicted, migrant workers will face exploitation, and many will die.”

“Saudi Arabia will require a vast number of migrant workers to deliver its World Cup ambitions, yet there are no commitments to reform the country’s exploitative ‘kafala’ sponsorship system, establish a minimum wage for non-citizens, permit them to join trade unions or introduce new measures to prevent worker deaths,” he added.

Cockburn also urged FIFA to not award the hosting rights to Saudi Arabia if ‘proper human rights protection’ weren’t put in place. Saudi Arabia’s Bid Book for the 2034 World Cup includes plans to build or renovate 11 stadiums, provide more than 185,000 additional hotel rooms, as well as big infrastructure projects from transport connections to new cities.