FIFA's decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia is the latest demonstration from the world governing body that the bottom line trumps all other concerns, according to Richie Sadlier.
On Wednesday at an online Extraordinary FIFA Congress, Saudi Arabia, as the sole bidder, was rubber-stamped as the host country for the 25th staging of the global event.
Rather than a traditional vote, the ratification process was confirmed by acclamation, with federations in favour asked to show their support by applauding for the bids as a pair.
While Norway's football federation abstained from the vote, arguing the bidding process "undermines FIFA's own reforms for good governance" there was little resistance elsewhere as human rights concerns dog the Saudi bid.
Speaking on RTÉ Sport, soccer analyst and former Republic of Ireland international Sadlier said the governing body's controversial decision will surprise few.
"We knew this was coming, but we’re facing the reality yet again that the anticipation, our enjoyment and our coverage of a World Cup tournament is going to feature dilemmas about how much are we going to talk about migrant workers deaths, discriminatory laws, repression of women, criminalisation of gays," he said.
"There are no new concerns or disappointments with FIFA and how they operate the last few years, they are motivated by one thing and that’s to maximise commercial revenue.
Our RTÉ Sport panel discuss today's confirmation of the worst kept secret in football - World Cup 2034 will take place in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi bid has been criticised because of the country's human rights record - much in the same way as the Qatar 2022 tournament.#RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/VOiQsdjDO1
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 11, 2024
"Given the investment in sport these days by Saudi Arabia, if you are in business with them, you are making a lot of money. That’s FIFA’s bottom line."
A "reckless decision" was how Amnesty International described FIFA’s decision to take the World Cup to Saudi Arabia, highlighting the fate that awaits the migrant workers ahead of a huge infrastructure project over the next decade.
Saudi Arabia has banned labour unions, does not have a minimum wage for migrant workers, and enforces the 'kafala' system of foreign labourer sponsorship.
Fellow analyst Stephen Kelly says the failure by FIFA to work with Saudi Arabia to enforce meaningful reforms is a legitimate concern.
"The accountability that we want FIFA to have for giving the tournament to a country like this (Saudi Arabia), you want to feel like the world governing body that wants football for all, can they make those countries they are giving it to accountable in some way for what might happen for them to get to a point where they will host a World Cup?
"FIFA just won’t do that.
"I don’t think FIFA are going to put anything in place to make sure Saudi Arabia commit to some change before [the World Cup] happens because the funding they will get from them is so astronomical that FIFA will be happy to spread that around and say that will make a change without affecting what is happening in the country."
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