Legal Complaint Filed Against FIFA Over Human Rights Violations in Saudi Arabia Ahead of 2034 World Cup

A team of high-profile international lawyers — including former FIFA advisor Mark Pieth — has filed an official complaint with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), accusing the organization of breaching its internal rules on respecting human rights by awarding Saudi Arabia the right to host the 2034 World Cup.

The complaint, submitted through FIFA’s official grievance mechanism, was jointly filed by Swiss attorney Stephan Werenberg, UK legal counsel Rodney Dixon, and Mark Pieth, and includes a 30-page report warning of the dangers of granting the tournament to a country with a deeply troubling human rights record. The complaint criticizes FIFA for showing no sign of taking meaningful steps to address these concerns.

According to the complainants, FIFA is obligated under its own human rights policy to ensure internationally recognized human rights are upheld in the host country — a responsibility it has failed to fulfill.

The complaint highlights five key areas of concern:

Freedom of expression and association

Arbitrary arrests, torture, and the death penalty

Lack of judicial independence

Migrant workers’ rights

Women’s rights

The document states:

“To date, there is no evidence that FIFA has taken steps to address these issues. In fact, there is no clear intention to do so.”

The lawyers call for a transparent and enforceable action plan to be implemented in collaboration with Saudi authorities — one that includes minimum human rights standards and robust, independent monitoring mechanisms, warning of the danger of leaving these matters to the discretion of the host country alone.

Sanad Human Rights Organization reiterates that FIFA’s continued silence on the grave violations occurring in Saudi Arabia amounts to indirect complicity in the suffering of thousands of victims and undermines the core values the global football body claims to uphold.