Source: Politics<\/p>\n
Before the final whistle blows on the 2026 World Cup, a familiar tension is already bubbling ahead of its next two installments.<\/p>\n
Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal, criminalizes same-sex sexual activity. And in Saudi Arabia, host of the 2034 tournament, homosexuality is understood to be illegal under Islamic law.<\/p>\n
Both countries submitted plans to address the potential human rights risks associated with hosting the tournament as part of their bids, but human rights advocates say the nations must guarantee that queer fans are not prosecuted under those laws. And they say FIFA, which has an ostensible commitment to fighting discrimination in football, should play a role in securing that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean that FIFA is the world police and somehow has the power to tell countries what to do with their laws,\u201d said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International\u2019s head of labor rights and sports. \u201cBut it can certainly engage and use its leverage to put in place measures that would be protective of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The debate over what role FIFA should play in promoting human rights, and how far it should go to do so, is familiar to most fans of international soccer.<\/p>\n
FIFA drew criticism from international spectators when it announced ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar that it would deliver a yellow card to team captains who donned the multi-colored \u201cOneLove armband,\u201d while the Qatari Emir said that all would be welcome so long as they respect the country\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n
Critics also drew attention to Russian laws prohibiting so-called gay propaganda ahead of the 2018 contest.<\/p>\n
Morocco\u2019s human rights strategy document notes that its independent human rights committee and the Moroccan Football Federation would \u201cencourage both the parliament and the government to ratify key international conventions,\u201d broadly referring to widely understood human rights standards, though the document did not explicitly mention discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia\u2019s proposal similarly makes no explicit mention of addressing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but asserts that the federation would \u201ccontinuously verify that our legislations and practices align with our commitments to various international agreements pertaining to anti-discrimination and implement any required enhancements.\u201d The nation\u2019s tourism ministry says on its website that it welcomes all people, but it asks visitors to \u201crespect our culture and traditions and follow our laws as they would when visiting any other country in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike other governments around the world, visitors are not required to disclose their personal information and we will respect visitors\u2019 right to privacy,\u201d its tourism FAQs site continues.<\/p>\n
The FIFA Congress, made up of its member federations, approved both uncontested bids. FIFA and the Saudi and Moroccan embassies in Washington, D.C., did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n
Cockburn, whose organization authored a 2022 report slamming both the Moroccan and Saudi human rights strategies, said FIFA must go to greater lengths to guarantee that queer fans are protected while attending the games. That\u2019s on top of the slew of concerns directed specifically at Saudi Arabia over workers\u2019 rights and a lack of a minimum wage, contained in its report.<\/p>\n
Countries regularly guarantee bits of policy to FIFA during negotiations to host World Cups, including special tax arrangements and altered visa protocols.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere needs to be a bit more of an upfront, honest, grown up conversation about this, so that everyone\u2019s clear, that it\u2019s not fudged and that fans are not left guessing about what the situation is and how to look after themselves,\u201d Cockburn said.<\/p>\n
The arrival of the world\u2019s most watched sporting event in those two nations can contribute to \u201ca fair degree of, sort of, cynicism or general, sort of, distrust\u201d among some LGBT-rights advocacy groups that FIFA sometimes doesn\u2019t take this issue on in a systematic way that we would all like to see, said executive director of FIFA\u2019s anti-discrimination partner Fare network Piara Powar.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just seem very kind of cautious around it and sadly it\u2019s just not really taking us anywhere,\u201d Jon Holmes, spokesperson for the group Football v Homophobia, said of FIFA.<\/p>\n
If history is an indication, however, it\u2019s possible that such concerns over human rights at the World Cup could fade once the international drama of the tournament begins. Such was the case in the U.S., where concerns over potential ICE raids, overwhelmed logistical systems and more \u2014 which did cause some to boycott the games \u2014 largely faded away amid a wildly successful tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all kind of get lost in the event, and the narratives, and the storylines, and the athletes, and the beautiful game, and the cultures all coming together,\u201d said Ryan Trustcott, an associate professor at Gonzaga University who studies the politics of international sports. \u201cBut we lose track of the impact and the legacy when it comes to improving human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n