Saudi Arabia gave “assurances” over LGBTQ+ fans at World Cup

FIFA announced on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will host the tournament, highlighting the kingdom’s increasing influence in the sports world despite ongoing criticism regarding its human rights record.

Simultaneously, FIFA confirmed that Morocco, Spain, and Portugal will jointly host the 2030 World Cup, with three games also taking place in South America.

The decision to award the World Cup to Saudi Arabia is expected to reignite discussions around human rights, similar to the controversy during Qatar’s hosting of the tournament two years ago.

According to ‘France24’, at Wednesday’s congress, FIFA president Gianni Infantino emphasised the organisation’s commitment to being “inclusive” and “non-discriminatory.”

“We are of course aware of critics and fears, and I fully trust our hosts to address all open points from this process and deliver a FIFA World Cup which meets expectations,” he remarked.

Following the confirmation of the hosting decisions, the English FA issued a statement explaining its support for the 2030 and 2034 bids.

The FA noted that its board had met with Saudi football officials last month to discuss the bid in detail.

“We asked them to commit to ensuring all fans would be safe and welcome in Saudi Arabia in 2034 -- including LGBTQ+ fans,” the FA stated.

“They assured us that they are fully committed to providing a safe and welcome environment for all fans.

“Football is a global game and is for everyone. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means being respectful of all, including all religions and cultures.

“We also believe that hosting World Cups can be a catalyst for positive change, which is best delivered by working collaboratively in partnership with host nations.

“We will work with FIFA and (European governing body) UEFA to ensure that commitments to respect all human rights are delivered.”