Awarding of the 2034 World Cup
Saudi Arabia’s influence on world football is increasing dramatically
Before the next World Cup is awarded, there is no doubt that Saudi Arabia will host the tournament in ten years. And that’s just the beginning.
Saudi Arabia is on the way to becoming a top player in the international sports business. Research by the Danish initiative “Play the Game” has identified 910 sponsorship deals in the kingdom in various sports. The desert state therefore exerts a great influence in martial arts, motor sports, golf and e-sports. But especially in football.
According to Stanis Elsborg, head of the initiative, Saudi Arabia has already reshaped the world of sports. The desert state’s sporting ambitions “go far beyond winning games or hosting tournaments like the 2034 World Cup,” Elsborg told WDR magazine “Sport Inside.”
But what is Saudi Arabia’s plan? And what is the strategy behind it?
The state fund forms the financial basis
The report describes the Public Investment Fund (Pif), chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as the “driving force” behind the Saudis’ sporting investments. With estimated total assets of $925 billion, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is one of the largest in the world – and has many critics: The organization “Human Rights Watch” found out and sharply criticized it.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is of little interest. In order to influence the sports world, he has spun a network of influential officials. They sit on the boards of sports clubs, are involved in negotiations and provide financial resources with the help of the Pif sovereign wealth fund. As a result, Saudi Arabia’s representatives influence important decisions in the international sports business.
One of the crown prince’s closest confidants is Yasir al-Rumayyan, who recently appeared again. Above all, al-Rumayyan is governor of the sovereign wealth fund and chairman of Aramco, currently the largest oil production company in the world. He also has the say as chairman of the Premier League club Newcastle United. In 2021, the Saudis bought the English club. Since then, 80 percent of it has belonged to the state fund. But other clubs are also gratefully accepting the money from the desert.
Global influence on associations
European football clubs such as Manchester City, Atlético Madrid and AS Roma have sponsorship deals with Saudi Arabian companies. La Liga (Spain) and Serie A (Italy) already hold their Super Cups in Saudi Arabia and are financially rewarded by the desert state.
According to “Play the Game”, the “Saudi Arabian Football Federation” (Saff) is said to have reached so-called agreements in principle with a total of 50 football associations around the world. As the “” reports, a quarter of FIFA member associations have concluded such agreements with the Saudi Arabian association. This is supposedly about improving referee training or promoting women’s football.
“These agreements may seem symbolic at first glance, but they can be powerful strategic tools,” said Stanis Elsborg. “They can give Saudi Arabia access to key decision-makers in the associations. Ultimately, these are the people who vote on important issues at FIFA.”
Saudi Arabia’s megaproject “Neom”
At the Fifa Congress on December 11th, the 2034 World Cup is expected to go to Saudi Arabia – despite global criticism over the human rights situation in the country. However, since the kingdom is the only applicant for the World Cup in ten years, nothing stands in the way of the award being awarded.
From 2026, the World Cup will be increased from 32 to 48 teams. Saudi Arabia wants to be the first nation to host the inflated sporting event alone. This is all part of the “” – a mega project that aims to reduce dependence on oil.
Trillion-dollar Neom project: Saudi Arabia wants to usher in a “new future” with these buildings
The Line
The band city “The Line” is probably Neom’s best-known project. One day, the Saudi government wants to have built a 170-kilometer-long city in the middle of the desert in which up to nine million people from all over the world will find a home. “The Line” has recently been in the headlines because, despite the rapid start of earthworks, initial delays are to be expected and the city will probably not be able to be built as quickly as the government initially planned.
© Neom / PR
As part of the vision, Saudi Arabia also wants to implement the “Neom” settlement project in the northwest of the country on an area of 26,500 square kilometers. A city called “The Line” is planned in the center – 170 kilometers long, 200 meters wide, pressed into a gigantic glass facade. Things should also be sustainable there: lots of green spaces, no cars, no emissions. Human rights activists fear that numerous guest workers could die during the construction of the future city – as was the case during the preparations for the World Cup in Qatar.
The “Play the Game” report complains that Saudi Arabia is abusing sport to burnish the country’s image worldwide. This is also called “sportswashing”. Accordingly, the Danish initiative quotes Crown Prince bin Salman from an interview on the US broadcaster “Fox News”: “If sportswashing increases our gross domestic product by one percent, then we will continue with it.” Sportswashing is one of the country’s largest business models – this project is taking shape in Saudi Arabia.
Further sources: “”, “”
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
