FIFA is under fire after rejecting calls to monitor the treatment of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia who will be hosting the 2034 World Cup. The move has sparked criticism from human rights activists, accusing the governing body of turning a blind eye to abuses as Saudi Arabia positions itself as a major player in global sports.
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FIFA has been accused of ignoring human rights after it refused calls from an African body to independently monitor the conditions of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia as it prepares to host the 2034 World Cup. Saudi Arabia was officially announced as the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup in December 2024, raising concerns about its ‘poor’ human rights record and treatment of immigrant workers.
As a result, the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), which represents 18 million African workers, wrote to FIFA last month demanding increased protection for immigrant workers in the buildup to the 2023 World Cup. However, FIFA has reportedly rejected the calls, stating that the current mechanism should be enough, according to The Guardian.
FIFA rejects demand to monitor migrant workers’ conditions in Saudi
FIFA also stated that its regulations mandate that World Cup hosts “uphold their respective duties and responsibilities under international human rights standards in all activities associated with the tournament”.
This comes after FIFA president Gianni Infantino admitted while announcing the 2034 World Cup hosts that Saudi Arabia faces criticism over its poor human rights record.
“We are of course aware of critics and fears. I fully trust our hosts to address all open points and I fully expect them to deliver tournaments that meet the world’s expectations. This is what we expect and look forward to: social improvements, positive human rights impacts. The world will be watching and it is positive that the unique spotlight of the World Cup is on what can and should be improved so that this can be addressed effectively and we can have real and lasting change,” Infantino said last month.
Amnesty’s head of labour rights and sport Steve Cockburn had back then slammed FIFA for awarding the World Cup to Saudi Arabia and said that the lack of commitment from the footballing body towards ensuring adequate protection for workers will “put many lives at risk”.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) had asked FIFA to intervene and ensure that the kafala system of labour is ended and independent monitors are allowed to assess workers’ conditions.
As per The Guardian, FIFA’s general secretary Mattias Grafström replied saying that Saudis have already committed to building “a workers’ welfare system to monitor compliance with labour rights standards for tournament-related workers” in their bid.
The report adds that the official Saudi bid document makes no mention of a “workers’ welfare system.” Instead, it outlines the formation of a “working group” comprising various Saudi government departments to establish a governance framework for implementing the human rights strategy. The document also pledges to collaborate with key partners such as the United Nations, the International Labour Organization, and the Saudi National Committee of Workers Committees. However, it provides no details about the nature or scope of these partnerships.
As per estimates, Saudi Arabia currently is home to an estimated 10 million migrant workers, who are expected to form the backbone of the workforce required to construct the extensive infrastructure for the World Cup. The proposed projects under Saudi Arabia’s winning bid include the construction of 11 brand-new stadiums, expanded transport networks, and approximately 185,000 additional hotel rooms — effectively doubling the country’s current accommodation capacity.
FIFA faces criticism after rejecting trade union’s demands
Former South African politician and activist, Andrew Josef Feinstein, and Amnesty Norway’s policy advisor Frank Conde Tangberg have criticised FIFA for rejecting the demand to monitor workers’s conditions in Saudi Arabia.
“That fine upstanding, non-corrupt, human rights affirming organisation, Fifa, rejects request for monitoring of migrant workers’ conditions in Saudi Arabia,” Feinstein wrote on X.
Tangberg said that FIFA rejecting the demand of the trade union cements its lack of commitment towards human rights.
“FIFA ignores calls for increased monitoring of workers’ rights tied to the 2034 World Cup in #SaudiArabia, further cementing the governing bodies lack of commitment to human rights.”