The vote at FIFA’s Extraordinary Congress forced national football associations to cast a single vote for both 2030 and 2034, with no option to independently evaluate or reject either host bid.

FIFA’s human rights risk assessments have been widely criticised by trade unions, human rights organisations and even its own members. A report from Amnesty International and the Sport and Rights Alliance, of which the ITUC is a core partner, found serious failings related to freedom of association, freedom of expression, LGBTI rights, a minimum wage and more...

“It has proceeded knowing that workers will be denied the fundamental right to organise or join trade unions. This right is essential to ensure occupational health and safety; a critical issue in Saudi Arabia with reports that more than 21,000 workers have been killed constructing ‘The Line’.

“It has also ignored the abusive kafala system that condemns millions of migrant care, construction and service workers to abuse and rampant wage theft. And at a time when athletes are being increasingly recognised as workers and human rights defenders, they could face criminalisation for exercising their rights at work during a tournament in Saudi Arabia.”

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