About the Saudi Plans for a Second World Cup in the Gulf

Saudi Arabia wields enormous influence in global sport after channeling billions of dollars into such pursuits as racing, golf, tennis and boxing in recent years. Now, the oil-rich kingdom has won the right to host the world’s most prestigious football tournament: the World Cup. The only time the competition has ever been held in an Arab Gulf country was in 2022, in the tiny emirate of Qatar — and it happened amid considerable controversy. Games were shifted to the winter to avoid the hot climate, human rights practices drew widespread scrutiny, and beer was banned from stadiums at the last minute. Qatar still went on to hold what some pundits say was one of the best-run tournaments in history.

The event is headed to the Middle East for a second time, to a country that raises some of the same concerns. The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), soccer’s ruling body, on Dec. 11 awarded Saudi Arabia the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup.