The German FA has confirmed that it will lend its support to Saudi Arabia’s unopposed bid for the 2034 World Cup. The endorsement will no doubt draw plenty of criticism from German fans and perhaps players.
In the end, the decision was unanimous for the governors of Germany’s DFB football association: yes to Saudi Arabia 2034. “There was not a single vote that said we were on the wrong track here,” its president, Bernd Neuendorf, said on Friday. “The decision is supported by the entire association.”
As a result of the way that FIFA has handled the awarding of its upcoming showpiece tournaments, the decision also means that Germany endorses the 2030 tournament’s being hosted mainly by Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
Both bids were the only ones on the table, but it was still possible for Germany to vote against or abstain. However, doing so against one bid would automatically mean doing the same for the other. With Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay also set to host matches in 2030, anything but a yes vote might have been politically tricky for the DFB top brass, which also includes Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.
Neuendorf said Germany “would have taken ourselves out of the game” had the DFB not voted in favor of the bids. “We must work with FIFA to improve the situation in Saudi Arabia in terms of human rights and sustainability,” he said. The DFB president also described the human rights situation in the kingdom as “critical” and “not something we gloss over.”
Neuendorf said the prevailing European view of Saudi Arabia‘s lamentable human rights record is not universally shared, that the country was committed to sport and that a rejection would have been “pure symbolic politics.”
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
That is not a position that will wash with many fan groups in Germany, a country where football and politics are rarely seen as separate by the fans.
“It contradicts all ethical principles of sport to select such a country to host the World Cup,” fan group Fairness United said earlier this week.
“FIFA’s decision is based solely on the logic of profit and corruption and makes a mockery of its own noble commitment to human rights and sustainability.”
A Human Rights Watch report, released this week ahead of FIFA’s awarding of the tournaments on December 11, is once again scathing of the kingdom’s record, revealing dreadful working conditions for the country’s 13.4 million migrant workers and finding that the World Cup will be “stained with pervasive rights violations.” Saudi Arabia has also drawn consistent criticism for its treatment of women, LGBTQ+ people and other minorities.
For many observers, it’s all reminiscent of Qatar 2022, when similar arguments were made by the press and human rights organizations to little avail. But Neuendorf has previously rejected the comparison.
That World Cup saw Manuel Neuer and Germany clash with FIFA over the Germany captain’s being able to wear the rainbow armband in support of LGBTQ+ rights in a country where homosexuality is banned. Later in the tournament, the German team covered their mouths in their prematch team photo in response to the denial of that request. It appears likely some will be vocal in opposition to Saudi Arabia as hosts.
Former Germany international Toni Kroos recently told Sports Illustrated Germany that “it’s wrong that footballers should only concentrate on the sport and close their eyes to the rest of the world.”
And Neuendorf told DW last year: “As the largest association in the world, we believe we have the right to take a close look at what is happening at FIFA. And we also dig deeper if we don’t get satisfactory answers about certain processes.”
Edited by: Jonathan Harding
