Leon Goretzka, a renowned player for Bayern Munich, has made a huge statement. He has pleaded with the German Football Association to make it plain that Saudi Arabia should not be hosting the 2034 World Cup. FIFA declared that Saudi Arabia was the only bidder for the tournament. This thereby confirmed the country’s hosting of the competition. But, a lot of players and media aren’t happy with this decision. But it seems like FIFA is going ahead with it anyway. Now, a very renowned player has come out and spoken about the decision.
Goretzka unhappy with Saudi Arabia hosting 2034 FIFA World Cup
Australia were the only other contender who could fight Saudi Arabia for the hosting rights of the FIFA World Cup. But, the Aussies pulled out, citing that they don’t want to compete with a nation, with the resources of Saudi Arabia.
Now, according to Daily Mail, speaking ahead of Germany’s impending friendlies against Austria and Turkey, Goretzka criticized Qatar for winning the World Cup the previous year. He also claimed that the “mistake has not been corrected” since Saudi Arabia will now host the competition.
Goretzka was asked if the German FA needs to make a clear signal against the awarding of the FIFA World Cup to Saudi Arabia, Leon had some strong words. He said, ‘I definitely see it that way, that still stands, the mistake was in the awarding (of the 2022 tournament to Qatar) and in the criteria that played a role. It has obviously not been corrected, and that’s definitely not good.’
FIFA still needs to approve Saudi Arabia’s hosting bid; this will probably happen late in the following year.
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Qatar & Saudi Arabia will have same issues hosting WC
German athletes were well-known for covering their mouths in protest. This was due to FIFA’s decision to outlaw LGBTQ armbands prior to their World Cup match against Japan last year.
Their act of defiance in the Khalifa Stadium in Doha came after the world football governing body threatened to impose sanctions on teams and captains should they proceed with their plan to wear the ‘OneLove’ armband. This was perceived as a symbolic protest against laws that prohibit homosexuality in Qatar.
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Qatar’s human rights record, treatment of migrant workers, and position on same-sex couples all contributed to criticism of the country’s 2022 World Cup hosting. Similar to this, same-sex partnerships are illegal in Saudi Arabia, a country that has also come under fire for its violations of human rights. Awarding the FIFA World Cup to these countries does raise an eyebrow.
Just like Qatar, the 2034 FIFA World Cup is expected to be held in the winter as temperatures in Saudi Arabia in the summer months can exceed 43 degrees Celsius.
