England's FA explains why it backed Saudi Arabia 2034 World Cup bid amid human rights concerns | OneFootball

The Football Association in England has released a statement explaining that they backed Saudi Arabia's 2034 World Cup bid after meeting with the gulf nation's football federation and ensuring that "all fans would be safe and welcome".

FIFA officially confirmed Saudi Arabia as hosts for the 2034 tournament at an extraordinary congress on Wednesday. World football's governing body also revealed that Morocco, Spain and Portugal would host the competition in 2030, with three matches that year also staged in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as part of a centenary celebration.

The grand ceremony fronted by FIFA president Gianni Infantino was purely ceremonial, as Saudi Arabia were the only nation to table an official bid for the 2034 tournament.

The AFC representative has been hotly divisive, inspiring widespread outcry from human rights organisations. A joint statement issued by 21 establishments described Saudi's victorious bid as a "reckless decision" that "will put many lives at risk".

Shortly after ceremony, the FA explained their position with a statement that read: "After a careful review of both proposals, we supported the two World Cup bids - from Spain/Portugal/Morocco in 2030, and Saudi Arabia in 2034. Both bids are technically strong and meet the Fifa criteria to host the Men's World Cup.

The World Cup trophy will be handed out in Saudi Arabia in 2034 / Alika Jenner - FIFA/GettyImages

"Our focus is on ensuring that all our fans can attend and enjoy tournaments.

"The FA board met the Saudi Arabian Football Federation last month to discuss their bid in more detail. We asked them to commit to ensuring all fans would be safe and welcome in Saudi Arabia in 2034 - including LGBTQ+ fans. They assured us that they are fully committed to providing a safe and welcome environment for all fans.

"Football is a global game, and is for everyone. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means being respectful of all, including all religions and cultures. We also believe that hosting World Cups can be a catalyst for positive change, which is best delivered by working collaboratively in partnership with host nations.

"We will work with FIFA and UEFA to ensure that commitments to respect all human rights are delivered."

The Norwegian federation had a letter read out at the start of the congress "raising concerns about the bidding process … being perceived as not fully aligning with the principles and objectives of FIFA's governance reforms of 2016".