New requirements for stadiums
FIFA adapts its own rules to Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid
October 10, 2023, 9:56 a.m
Saudi Arabia has a great chance of winning the contract to host the 2034 World Cup. And FIFA is doing a lot to ensure that there are no hurdles for the Gulf state. The mammoth 2030 World Cup in six countries has already minimized the number of potential opponents.
FIFA continues to pave the way for a 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia by adapting its own rules to the conditions in the obviously favored host country. Contrary to what was originally planned, those interested in winning the 2034 World Cup only have to present four existing stadiums in their application. Originally, the application process for 2030 and 2034 required “at least 14 suitable stadiums,” “of which at least seven must be existing stadiums.” But that is outdated. However, in FIFA’s recently published overview of the requirements for the 2034 event, this requirement has been relaxed. “Of the 14 proposed suitable stages, each application must propose at least four existing stages,” the documents state.
Existing stadiums, according to FIFA rules, are “stadiums currently in existence or under construction” or “stadiums in need of renovation or reconstruction that retain key structural elements.” The successful Saudi bid for the 2027 Asian Cup included four FIFA-compliant venues: two in Riyadh that are currently being upgraded, one in Jeddah and one currently under construction in Dammam. FIFA requires stadiums with a minimum capacity of 40,000 spectators for the tournament, with the most important matches having to accommodate 60,000 and 80,000 spectators.
“FIFA has to adapt requirements”
“The requirement for four existing stadiums for the 2034 edition takes into account the significantly longer lead time until the tournament and protects against outdated infrastructure in order to ensure the best possible quality,” says FIFA, according to the Guardian. “FIFA must take the 2030 requirements as a basis and adapt them where appropriate and applicable to make them fit for purpose.” The Saudis are reportedly insisting they can host the World Cup despite the challenge of high summer temperatures. The 2022 World Cup in neighboring Qatar has been moved from the traditional summer window to November and December.
FIFA surprisingly announced last week that the 2030 World Cup will take place in six countries on three continents: In addition to the three main hosts Spain, Portugal and Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will also host games. According to the cycle that FIFA has set for awarding its premium event, only nations from Asia or Oceania are allowed to apply for the 2034 World Cup – although only three games will be held in South America in 2030.
81 executions in one day
Australia is considered Saudi Arabia’s only possible competitor. Australia is “exploring the possibility” of an application, it says. However, Australia had already hosted the Summer Olympics in Brisbane two years earlier – with the aim of holding the mega event, which historically regularly cost billions for the host nations, cost-neutrally thanks to existing facilities.
Expressions of interest from potential hosts for the 2034 World Cup must be submitted by October 31st, and an official application must be submitted by November 30th. Saudi Arabia announced its intention to host the major tournament with 48 teams and 104 games just a few minutes after the application period began.
Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in world sport: The sovereign wealth fund bought the Premier League club Newcastle United last year, and some of football’s biggest stars were brought into the domestic league for more than a billion dollars: Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar play for them a lot of money in the league, which is insignificant in terms of sport, and huge sums of money from Saudi Arabia also flow into motorsport. The FIFA Club World Cup is already taking place in the Gulf state this year.
Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other organizations have repeatedly criticized Saudi Arabia for a series of massive human rights abuses, including the killing of hundreds of unarmed Ethiopian migrants last month, the imprisonment of dissidents and women’s rights activists, the murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi in 2018 and the execution of 81 people in a single day last year. Saudi Arabia is accused of wanting to burnish its image by investing billions of dollars in sport.