Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon and Dick Durbin of Illinois have written a letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino asking him to not pursue Saudi Arabia as a host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, per the Associated Press.
“We urge you to seek out a host country with a record of upholding human rights," they wrote.
The Middle Eastern country emerged as a frontrunner to host the competition, and its nomination remains uncontested. The kingdom's controversial track record on human rights has drawn scrutiny around the bid. Some of that scrutiny includes the need to build most of the 15 required stadiums for the competition, a risk that has drawn similarities to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA is set to host a meeting in December in which 200 FIFA member federations are expected to endorse Saudi Arabia's bid for the competition, along with the joint bid of Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with single games going to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay in the 2030 version of the tournament.
“Approving Saudi Arabia’s bid this December endangers workers, athletes, tourists, and members of the press, and it runs counter to FIFA’s own human rights policies,” Wyden and Durbin continued in their letter shared by the AP.
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“We strongly urge FIFA to take all steps necessary to thoroughly re-evaluate Saudi Arabia’s ill-equipped World Cup bid ahead of December and select a rights-respecting host country.”