Despite numerous questions, the England FA decided to support Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup after receiving answers to those questions from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation [SAFF] during a meeting last month, according to chair Debbie Hewitt.
The governing body of world football, FIFA, handed the responsibility of hosting the tournament to the Kingdom on Wednesday, with the sole bid for the showpiece confirmed by acclamation.
A number of rights organisations heavily came down on FIFA after the official announcement, highlight the Saudi’s human rights record.
The Saudis have strongly invested in sport over the past years, although criticisms have come in, including women’s rights groups and members of the LGBTQ community, claiming the use of its Public Investment Fund to cover its human rights record.
However, the Kingdom refutes allegations of human rights abuses, insisting it protects its national security through its laws and hence, prior to Saudi Arabia’s confirmation as World Cup hosts, the FA revealed it had met with the SAFF in November.
“It wasn’t a difficult decision – I think it was a very thorough process. We spent a lot of time with the Saudis, understanding their approach to the tournament,” Hewitt spoke to the BBC.
“We asked a lot of questions, they gave us a lot of time and they gave us a lot of commitments and I think the important thing is that we will now work with them over the next 10 years leading up to the tournament to make sure that those commitments are delivered – from both sides.
“We were reassured by the answers that we got and think this is about a partnership. A tournament is not just about the host. A tournament is about those who go along and play their part in it and that’s what we want to do.”
England’s FA was among a group of soccer federations who had planned to wear “OneLove” armbands to protest against discrimination during the Qatar 2022 World Cup, but those plans were sidelined after FIFA threatened sporting sanctions.
