Football players outraged that their World Cup is to be sponsored by Saudi Arabia

The stands of the King Salman Stadium will be able to accommodate 92,000 spectators. This is where the final of the World Cup in 2034 will be played. Saudi Arabia is already showing its jewel in the crown, because it is almost certain that FIFA will grant it the right to host the FIFA World Cup in December.

– The 2034 World Cup is our invitation to the world to witness the development of Saudi Arabia, experience its hospitable society, culture and heritage, and become part of its history – says Jasser Al Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

The Saudis might not even create effective promotional videos because they have no competition. They are the only candidate to host the World Cup in 10 years. On December 11, the FIFA Congress will only officially confirm what has long been known.

The championship in the Saudi country is already causing huge controversy. The British “The Guardian” wrote that the world football authorities do not learn from the mistakes made during the World Cup in Qatar. “December's coronation will undoubtedly become the most pathetic, bloody and harmful act in the history of global organized sport,” we read.

The daily reports that approximately 21,000 visiting workers have died in Saudi Arabia since 2016 – mainly from Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

The British accuse the Saudis of violating human rights and whitewashing their reputation through sports – the so-called sportswashing, the manifestation of which is the downloading of famous footballers for huge amounts of money – headed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. The Saudis also began to pour their petrodollars into tennis, golf and Formula 1.

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FIFA's four-year contract with Saudi Aramco raises huge doubts. The Saudi state oil company, known in Poland mainly as the co-owner of the Gdańsk Refinery, is to be a sponsor of the World Cup in 2026 and the women's World Cup a year later.

More than 100 soccer players from over 20 countries protested against this, loudly asking the question: is a sponsor from a country that violates basic human rights, where women are second-class citizens, appropriate for women's football? The signatories of the special letter also accuse the Saudis of blocking pro-ecological initiatives.

– We believe that human rights and climate action are more important than sponsors' money – says Tessel Middag, a Dutch soccer player and initiator of the opposition campaign. – That is why we opposed the agreement that FIFA signed with Saudi Aramco. We wanted to show this letter to the world before December 11, because that's when FIFA will decide who will organize the World Cup, he adds.

The players remind that their opposition has already had an effect – before last year's Women's World Cup, FIFA was forced to break cooperation with Visit Saudi, a government organization encouraging tourists to come to the Arabian Peninsula.