大象传媒

It's been confirmed the FIFA World Cup will be returning to the Middle East in 10 years' time after FIFA awarded Saudi Arabia the hosting rights to the 2034 tournament.

Securing football鈥檚 most high-profile tournament is just the latest example of the Kingdom鈥檚 growing influence on global sport, which its critics say is in an effort to 'sportswash' the regime's reputation.

Katie Smith is joined by 大象传媒 sports editor Dan Roan and Tariq Panja, global sports correspondent for The New York Times, to provide the background to Saudi Arabia鈥檚 unopposed bid.

We hear from the president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Yasser Al Misehal, and from Amanda Staveley, who was part of the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United in 2021, on why the tournament will be a great success, while 大象传媒 sports news correspondent Laura Scott speaks to Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness about Norway's decision to abstain from the voting process for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments.

Stephen Cockburn, Amnesty International鈥檚 head of housing, workers rights, and sport, and Wycombe Wanderers midfielder David Wheeler, the PFA鈥檚 sustainability champion, also join the podcast to discuss their concerns over human and the environment.

And we ask what all this means for Saudi Arabia鈥檚 huge investments in domestic football, particularly at Newcastle United.