FIFA needs to secure clear and binding commitments to improve human rights in countries likely to host the 2030 and 2034 men’s football World Cup tournaments to prevent serious potential abuses linked to its flagship event, the Sport & Rights Alliance said today.

The warning from the Alliance comes as Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder to host the 2034 event shortly before deadline closes at midnight tonight, and a joint bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain the only one being considered for 2030. The coalition of human rights and anti-corruption organisations, trade unions, fans representatives, athlete survivors groups, and players unions believes the lack of competition to host the tournaments risks undermining FIFA’s leverage, and means it is crucial that football’s world governing body takes the lead and secures binding human rights guarantees from the bidders...

According to guidelines published by FIFA, any countries bidding to host the 2030 or 2034 World Cups must commit to “respecting internationally recognised human rights” and “requires human rights and labour standards to be implemented by the bidding member associations, the government(s) and other entities involved in the organisation of the Competitions”.

As part of their official bids, countries must undertake and publish an independent human rights risk assessment and submit a plan that outlines how key risks identified will be addressed. Such risks could include, for example, abuses of workers’ rights, forced evictions, discrimination, restrictions on freedom of expression or corruption.

It is essential that FIFA ensure that human rights risk assessments are genuinely independent. In past processes, bidding Football Associations have been able to propose who conduct these assessments, leaving the exercise vulnerable to potential bias or abuse...