Lawyers file complaint to FIFA over Saudi '34 World Cup human rights abuse

A group of international lawyers has filed a formal complaint to FIFA, accusing the global football governing body of failing to enforce its human rights policy in relation to Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 World Cup.

The complaint, submitted through FIFA’s official grievance portal, was filed by Mark Pieth, FIFA’s former anti-corruption adviser, along with Swiss attorney Stefan Wehrenberg and British barrister Rodney Dixon.

According to the 30-page document, FIFA ignored the group’s previous offers to advise on human rights compliance before Saudi Arabia was awarded the tournament last December—without facing a competing bid.

“Widespread human rights abuses continue to take place in Saudi Arabia, and FIFA has taken no action to address them in the lead-up to the World Cup,” the complaint states. “It appears to be business as usual, with no plans for reform.”

The complaint was lodged just hours before FIFA’s annual congress—its first since Saudi Arabia was awarded hosting rights—was set to take place virtually with representatives from all 211 member federations.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino was expected to arrive at the congress in Paraguay on short notice after accompanying U.S. President Donald Trump on a state visit to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has maintained that its "Vision 2030" program is advancing freedoms and modernizing society.

Infantino has strengthened both FIFA’s financial and political ties with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a relationship dating back to before the 2018 World Cup.

Infantino and Trump also held meetings on Wednesday in Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup, which itself drew global criticism for human rights abuses and the treatment of migrant workers who built infrastructure for the tournament.

Saudi Arabia has now launched a similarly large-scale construction push to prepare for the 2034 event, which will feature more teams, more matches, and more stadiums than ever before—some with even more extravagant designs than those seen in Qatar.

“Saudi Arabia was chosen despite a deeply troubling human rights record, including violations of freedom of expression, arbitrary arrests, mistreatment in detention, and discrimination against migrants and women,” the lawyers argued in the complaint.

FIFA adopted a human rights policy in 2017 requiring bidders for the 2026 World Cup—ultimately awarded to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—to uphold international human rights and labor standards in line with United Nations principles.

Responding to a recent Human Rights Watch report detailing ongoing abuses of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, FIFA reaffirmed its “steadfast commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights” in its global operations.

The legal team’s complaint calls on FIFA to ensure that “meaningful reforms can still be achieved in Saudi Arabia” through the proper enforcement of its own human rights policies.