FIFA take surprise World Cup 2026 draw decision amid Gianni Infantino controversy
FIFA and Gianni Infantino have been criticised over decisions surrounding the World Cup as they prepare to confirm hosts for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments next month in Zurich
FIFA boss Gianni Infantino will once again avoid scrutiny after taking the decision to host the qualifying draw of the 2026 World Cup as a virtual event.
The draw for the competition will take place online on December 13, per the Guardian, two days after Saudi Arabia are confirmed as hosts for the 2034 edition of the tournament. The Middle East nation's 2034 bid will be confirmed by acclamation at an extraordinary FIFA congress on December 11.
Football's governing body has come in for criticism amid the decision to award Saudi Arabia the World Cup with no vote taking place over the hosting rights. The inaugural Club World Cup tournament to take place in the United States next summer has also been condemned amid a struggle to negotiate television rights and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami side receiving a contentious route into the competition.
Several national associations are said to have expressed their surprise at the arrangements and were expecting to travel to Zurich for proceedings. The last World Cup draw also took place virtually, but under Covid-19 lockdown restrictions with international travel limited.
READ MORE: Claudio Ranieri, 73, flies in for talks over return to management with former clubREAD MORE: Mark Chapman makes statement on replacing Gary Lineker on BBC Match of the DayBefore that, the draw was a significant event taking place in the host nation. Vladimir Putin attended the draw for the 2018 tournament when it was hosted in St Petersburg.
Mirror Football, however, understands that Infantino was never expected to speak at the qualifying draw. FIFA are understood to still be finalising their plans for the event, with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and Concacaf draws previously being held in Zurich without media activity.
FIFA president Infantino has not given a press conference since his re-election to the position at the 73rd FIFA congress in Rwanda in March 2023. The 54-year-old caused surprise when he did not speak after this year's congress in Bangkok.
Amnesty International’s head of labour rights and sport has criticised FIFA's decision-making ahead of Saudi Arabia being confirmed as hosts. “There will be a real and predictable human cost to awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without obtaining credible guarantees of reform,” said Steve Cockburn.
"Fans will face discrimination, residents will be forcibly evicted, migrant workers will face exploitation and many will die. FIFA must halt the process until proper human rights protections are in place to avoid worsening an already dire situation."
The sport's governing body has in turn defended its process. FIFA said: "FIFA is implementing thorough bidding processes for the 2030 and 2034 editions of the FIFA World Cup, in line with previous processes for the selection of hosts for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil."
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