FIFA’s announcement that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup was blighted by technical issues. In chaotic scenes, it appeared that the audio feed was lost as a speech was delivered live from Uruguay.
Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder for the tournament in 10 years’ time and is set to be confirmed as the host. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been a strong supporter of the bid and has frequently visited the kingdom over the past few years.
But there was embarrassment during a virtual FIFA congress as the audio feed was lot, leaving Infantino and other FIFA staff red-faced. The 54-year-old was sat alongside FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafstrom, with the two struggling to keep a straight face as it was announced that technical issues were causing the audio to be lost.
The event was being broadcast live from Zurich but they had cut to a speech being made in Uruguay, the hosts of the first World Cup in 1930. However, nobody appeared to be able to hear the speech and the feed cut back to a sheepish Infantino. There were several moments before anyone spoke.
A brief apology was then followed by a longer silence as staff battled to fix the issue. It was then announced that a video would be played over the top of the feed until the issue was sorted.
Saudi Arabia is set to become the second nation from the Middle East to host a FIFA World Cup. Today’s announcement comes two years after Qatar welcomed world football to the region.
The decision to award Saudi Arabia the hosting rights is hugely controversial. The country has faced scrutiny over its human rights and environmental record.
FIFA officials have agreed that Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup can be the catalyst for change in the country. They hope to prompt labour reforms and more rights for women. Bid leader Hammad Albalawi insists: “We are a young nation seizing this opportunity.”
Among the mega-money plans for the 2034 World Cup is a futuristic cliff-top stadium elevated 350 metres above the ground.
Meanwhile, Spain, Morocco and Portugal are also set to be named as hosts of the 2030 World Cup. A multi-nation bid will also see Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina stage matches early in the tournament.
