FIFA President Gianni Infantino Backs Saudi Arabia As 2034 World Cup Host

FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, on Friday stood by his governing body’s decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia, while also defending his relationship with Donald Trump.

The Gulf kingdom’s controversial selection as the host for the World Cup was announced during a FIFA Congress in December. This decision raised significant concerns regarding its human rights record, the treatment of migrant laborers, and the criminalization of same-sex relationships, sparking widespread debate and criticism.

The process followed by FIFA was also criticized by the Norwegian football federation but, speaking in Belfast on Friday, Infantino said: “There was a Congress decision, uniting the entire world.

“I think it was a very positive step for football, bringing, in eight years, football from all over the world, hosting everyone.

“We have to be bringing everyone to the table. We will go to North America in 2026; now we will go to South America, go to Africa, and we’ll go to Europe in 2030. We’ll go back to Asia for 2034.

“The FIFA Congress approved that, it was done after an in-depth report on all this.”

On Friday, Infantino encountered inquiries regarding his connection with President Trump and his family. Notably, Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, participated in the FIFA Club World Cup draw held in December, while Infantino was present at Trump’s inauguration in January.

When asked why he was so close to the polarising President, Infantino said, “I think it is absolutely crucial for the success of a World Cup to have a close relationship with the president.

“We are organizing a Club World Cup this year, the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup, 32 teams, in the United States of America.

“We’re organizing a World Cup next year in the United States, Mexico,, and Canada. And let’s not forget that when the bidding happened for that World Cup, President Trump was already president of the United States.”

Infantino was also quizzed on the prospect of Russia returning to the world football scene if a peace deal can be agreed following its invasion of Ukraine.

“We look forward to all countries in the world playing football,” Infantino said as he arrived for the annual general meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the laws of the sport.

“We all hope that peace talks will be successful because I think it is important that we support it for the world, much more than for football, that we have peace.

“If there is a little role that football can play, once peace is there, then of course, we’ll play our role.”