Avoided explosive topic
DFB boss votes for mega World Cup, although he has questions
October 5, 2023, 4:12 p.m
Bernd Neuendorf votes in favor of the host deal for the 2030 World Cup in the FIFA Council. Nevertheless, the DFB President sees the six designated hosts as having major tasks ahead of them. Neuendorf makes no statement about the impending decision for Saudi Arabia to host the following World Cup.
Despite his own approval in the FIFA Council, DFB President Bernd Neuendorf still sees a lot of need for clarification for the controversial mega World Cup in six countries in 2030. “In my opinion, questions rightly remain about the topic of sustainability. We now have to look closely at what specific proposals the potential organizers develop in the application process in order to do justice to this important concern and challenge.”
As with the Qatar World Cup, which ended in a sporting and sports-political debacle for Germany, Neuendorf became the antipode to the all-powerful FIFA boss Infatino. With a satisfied smile and a pastoral voice, he announced the “historic agreement” for a controversial three-continent World Cup in 2030, with which the world association, in the best of backroom politics, rolled out the red carpet for Saudi Arabia as World Cup host for 2034.
“Dialogue and mutual understanding” led to this agreement in which “actually everyone wins – especially the fans, players and all regions of the world,” claimed the Swiss in a video speech after the FIFA Council’s surprising decision on Wednesday. Without saying a word about the World Cup’s problems in terms of sustainability, transparency and human rights, Infantino preached: “In a divided world, football is united.”
The formal application process is still pending
Meanwhile, Neuendorf pointed out that the World Cup award still had to be formally confirmed by the FIFA Congress. However, all candidates must go through a formal application process before the final vote at the congress and meet numerous criteria before the final award is made. The DFB boss described the de facto award to Spain, Portugal and Morocco for the World Cup in seven years and Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to host three opening games as an “unusual constellation”.
He himself agreed as a member of the Council. “All of the confederation presidents campaigned for the solution and sought approval from the member associations. Ultimately, the vote was unanimous, in line with the other European nations,” said Neuendorf, explaining the decision. He may have also met this in order not to endanger a possible Women’s World Cup in Germany in 2027.
Neuendorf made no statement about the impending decision for Saudi Arabia to host the following World Cup as a result of the 2030 World Cup being awarded. “As far as the awarding of the 2034 FIFA World Cup is concerned, as a first step, the members of the Asian (AFC) and Oceanic Confederations (OFC) have been invited to submit expressions of interest. It now remains to be seen which member associations from the AFC and the OFC actually agree to host the World Cup,” said the DFB President.