Controversial award

Money, greed, politics: the Saudis and the 2034 World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the Club World Cup final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the end of 2023.(Bild: Manu Fernandez / AP / picturedesk.com)

On Wednesday, FIFA awards the 2034 FIFA World Cup to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is highly controversial due to its human rights policy. The procedure is a farce orchestrated by President Gianni Infantino, and human rights organizations are outraged. Krone+ reveals what the Saudis are trying to achieve and what role FIFA is playing.

The 2034 finals will be officially awarded together with the 2030 World Cup at a FIFA online congress on Wednesday (start: 3 pm). However, there is no real, fair choice, with Saudi Arabia being the only candidate for 2034 and the joint bid from Spain, Portugal and Morocco with opening matches in South America for 2030.