Saudi’s 2030 World Cup pitch strengthened by diplomatic moves
IMAGO | FIFA President Gianni Infantino (C) with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud (R), and Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (L), during a 2022 FIFA World Cup match between Qatar and Ecuador.
Last week Saudi Arabia signed an MOU with the Confederation of African Football that strengthens its chances of hosting the 2030 World Cup. An Off The Pitch investigation shows that their lobbying efforts go far beyond the CAF deal.
With 211 voters for the 2030 bid contest, these deals are the building blocks for a successful bid. Saudi are up against a joint bid from South American and Iberia-Morocco-Ukraine.
Why it matters: Like Qatar in the noughties Saudi is positioning itself to be a major player in global football, promising billions of wider investments. A successful World Cup bid will be the cornerstone of that.
The perspective: After years of scandal the new bid race format is supposed to have allayed corruption concerns. “The culture is still the same in FIFA,” says journalist who uncovered 2006 World Cup bribe scandal.
16 May 2023 - 3:45 PM
An investigation conducted by Off The Pitch into Saudi Arabian efforts to formally engage with voters for the 2030 World Cup bid contest shows that lobbying efforts go far beyond last week’s deal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with football-diplomacy heightened significantly since late-2022.
Saudi Arabia’s aspirations to host the 2030 World Cup last week received another boost, with the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Saudi FA
Get smarter in minutes. Straight to your inbox
21-day free trial
Activate instantly with the link we’ll send you.
