<p>Football Australia <a href="https://twitter.com/FootballAUS/status/1719217681508053465" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced today</a>&nbsp;that it would not be bidding to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. In a statement, Football Australia said, “We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the FIFA World Cup and – having taken all factors into consideration – we have reached a conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition.”</p>



<p>The decision came just hours before the deadline for countries to submit an <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/fifa-offers-australia-token-gesture-to-bid-for-2034-world-cup-20231005-WST-460522.html">expression of interest to FIFA</a>. Australia had been weighing up a bid over recent months but ultimately decided against it.&nbsp;Football Australia said it would instead focus efforts on bidding for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup and 2029 Club World Cup. </p>



<p>The statement said, “We believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world – the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 – and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.”</p>



<h2>Saudi Arabia Frontrunner to Host 2030 World Cup</h2>



<p>With Australia out of the running, Saudi Arabia is now the host of the 2034 World Cup. Minutes after FIFA announced the bidding process was open earlier this month, the Saudis submitted their expression of interest.&nbsp;The Saudi bid has quickly gathered momentum, with the Asian Football Confederation and over 70 FIFA member associations publicly backing their bid. Saudi Arabia seems to have widespread support across Asia and looks poised to host the second World Cup in the Middle East after Qatar in 2022.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/16053840/Ronaldo-Saudi-1200x675-1200x675.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-466041" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"><figcaption>Saudi Arabia has made some serious investments in the summer by bringing in some of the world’s best players.</figcaption></figure>



<p>It likely means another World Cup in the winter rather than the traditional summer schedule.&nbsp;Qatar 2022 was moved to November/December to avoid the intense summer heat in the Gulf region. Temperatures in Saudi Arabia are similarly scorching in June/July, making a winter tournament probable.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Shifting the World Cup to winter again forces major disruption to domestic leagues around the world. They need to halt seasons to accommodate the schedule.&nbsp;However, the general response from the fans after the Qatar 2022 World Cup was positive. Players were closer to peak performance and their conditioning was strong compared to a summer tournament.</p>



<p>However, Saudi Arabia has maintained its intent to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/qatar-human-rights-protests-spread-across-world-cup-qualifiers-20210328-CMS-329637.html">host the 2034 World Cup in the summer</a>. The organizing body for the Saudi Arabian bid would also face similar problems as Qatar. While the small nation would minimize travel times in the tournament, Saudi Arabia also raises concerns about human rights violations. That, combined with the heat, makes for more controversy ahead of a World Cup in the Middle East.</p>



<h2>Saudi link to Australia’s decision is unclear</h2>



<p>It is unclear if Saudi Arabia had any influence in Football Australia’s decision not to bid. Some officials hinted Saudi Arabia warned Australia against bidding. There is no evidence the Saudis strong-armed Australia out of the process.&nbsp;Football Australia maintains it conducted its assessment of whether to bid. The group determined not to proceed after weighing up all factors. There is speculation about backroom deals but nothing definitive.</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em></p>


Australia Passes on World Cup, Saudi Arabia named for 2034

Australia backed out of a bid to host the 2034 World Cup, which opens the door for Saudi Arabia to be the only candidate.

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<p>Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has proclaimed that he does not care about accusations of sportswashing. Bin Salman became his country’s de facto ruler in 2017. Since then, the billionaire has invested a fortune in sports. Most notably, bin Salman’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought a majority stake in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/newcastle-united-tv-schedule/">Newcastle United</a> in 2021. PIF also helped create the controversial LIV Golf in the same year.</p>



<p>Bin Salman made the nonchalant claims during a recent interview with <em>Fox News</em>. It was his first-ever full interview in English. “If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by 1%, then we’ll continue doing sportswashing,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/66874723" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proclaimed</a> Bin Salman. </p>



<p>The Saudi official was then asked directly how he felt about the sportswashing term. “I don’t care [about the term]. I have 1% growth in GDP from sport and I am aiming for another 1.5%. Call it what you want – we are going to get that 1.5%.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🇸🇦🗣️ Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: "If sportswashing is going to increase our GDP, we&apos;ll continue sportswashing. I don&apos;t care." <a href="https://t.co/2X91xnN0D0">pic.twitter.com/2X91xnN0D0</a></p>— DW Sports (@dw_sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/dw_sports/status/1704872852292243750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<h5>Massive money crucial to country’s success</h5>



<p>Critics of PIF’s involvement in sports claim that the moves are made to distract from their human rights issues. The 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in particular, blocked Saudi Arabia from making many big moves. Other nations chose not to do business with the Saudis. Nevertheless, things have changed over the last few years. Money has been a key factor.</p>



<h2>Saudi official defends sportswashing </h2>



<p>Along with investing directly in teams and sports leagues, Saudi Arabia has also struck deals to bring certain competitions to the Middle Eastern nation. This includes hosting the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/club-world-cup-tv-schedule-streaming-links/">2023 FIFA Club World Cup</a> and the 2029 Asian Games. Bin Salman admitted these deals help bring more tourism to the country.</p>



<p>“When you want to diversify an economy you have to work in all sectors: mining, infrastructure, manufacturing, transportation, logistics all this,” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/21/mohammed-bin-salman-says-he-will-continue-doing-sport-washing-for-saudi-arabia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">continued</a> bin Salman. “Part of it is tourism and if you want to develop tourism part of it is culture, part of it is your sport sector, because you need to create a calendar.”</p>



<p>“We can see tourism used to contribute to Saudi GDP 3% now it’s 7%. Sport used to be 0.4% now it’s 1.5% so it’s economic growth it’s jobs, it’s a calendar, it’s entertainment, it’s tourism.”</p>



<p>As long as they are allowed to freely splash the cash, PIF seems here to stay. Other sporting events will soon be headed to Saudi Arabia as well. This includes boxing matches, tennis events and F1 races.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / Russian Look</em></p>


Saudi Crown Prince: 'We'll continue doing sportswashing'

Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has claimed that he will continue doing sportswashing, and he does not care about the term.

<p>Due to the myriad ethical, moral, and logistical issues, the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/category/world-cup-2022/">2022 World Cup</a> left one very important&nbsp;question unanswered: was the World Cup an appropriate celebration&nbsp;of Middle Eastern soccer? Seeing Morocco advance to the semifinals and Saudi Arabia giving Argentina its only blemish suggested that, yes, the World Cup was a coming out for Middle Eastern and Northern African soccer. Yet did the glitz and glamor, the culture shown, really tell the story of the soccer tradition in the “birthplace of civilization”?</p>



<p>In some ways, yes, but it took the controversies and moral dilemmas to truly tell the tale. The oppression of certain people for the gain of others is as much a part of soccer tradition&nbsp;in the region as the sport serving as a source of pride. Ironically, Saudi Arabia being the region’s most successful team is itself an interesting twist considering geopolitical tension only five years ago threatened&nbsp;this very tournament from occurring.</p>



<h3>Football in the Middle East</h3>



<p>Professor Abdullah Al-Arian of Georgetown University in Qatar tries to tell this story in his collection of articles entitled,&nbsp;<em><a href="https://amzn.to/3iTNLYw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Football in the Middle East: State, Society, and the Beautiful Game</a></em>. The book contains twelve articles on various elements of soccer in the Middle East and Northern Africa, written by different academics in different countries. From a hundred years ago up to the present day, the collection aims to give the reader a sense of how soccer has influenced society in this region of the world as well as address ongoing controversies.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The book jumps into various topics but tends to be heavy on a few topics. Palestinians and their exclusion from much of the organized soccer world has two articles, one about Lebanon and another about the BDS movement. Qatar, for obvious reasons, is another focus, with an article exclusively&nbsp;about the use of migrant labor and another about beIN SPORTS, its export to the soccer world and for a time a major player in the region for sports.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="" geopolitical="" goals"="" |="" abdullah="" al-arian="" on="" soccer="" in="" the="" middle="" east="" between="" lines"="" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WKjK46PoAAk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
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<p>The book, however, also has some more niche topic articles that reveal much about societies in this region. Yagmar Nurat’s article on women’s soccer in Turkey is not surprising – discrimination is rampant worldwide – but the depth of research into the game and its&nbsp;impact on society is interesting. Similarly, Maher Mezahi’s article on the use of chants in the Algerian Hirak rings eerily similar to stories in Franklin Foer’s or David Goldblatt’s books on how the sport is an avenue for social change and protest.</p>



<h3>Academic in presentation</h3>



<p>What makes this book different from Foer’s, however, is how utterly dry it is. Each article is written by an academic so instead of a compelling narrative, we jump from one academic paper to another. Some, like Craig LaMay’s article on beIN SPORTS, was a compelling look at how a network we tend to forget in the West is a massive influence in Asia and Africa. Conversely, articles like Thomas Ross Griffin’s on national identity for Qatar’s national team is boring and beset with questionable benchmarks for making his argument.</p>



<p>Al-Arian might say that a book about the Middle East and soccer cannot be written by journalists because&nbsp;few journalists come from and live in the region, and those that do are usually dismissed by publishers. He says as much for the lack of research on the game by locals now. Whether this is true – and I suspect there’s definite truth there – does not take away from the fact that this book is slow and thick with academic talk. </p>



<p>If you can make it through it, you’ll learn much and realize there is a rich soccer history in the region, one that should be better explored and publicized. Making it through is a challenge, however, and only those soccer fans who are looking for something a little different than the usual and can handle pages of academic writing will benefit from this book.</p>



<p><em>Photo: Imago</em></p>


"Football in the Middle East": Book review

Reviewing "Football in the Middle East:State, Society, and the Beautiful Game", the latest from Professor Abdullah Al-Arian.

"Football in the Middle East": Book review - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_647" style="width: 217px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-647" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-647" src="/files/2009/10/3756622801-soccer-barclays-premier-league-middlesbrough-v-portsmouth-riverside-stadium-207x300.jpg" alt="Southgate: Shown The Door" width="207" height="300"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-647" class="wp-caption-text">Southgate: Shown The Door</p></div>
<p>After winning 2-0 on Tuesday night, Gareth Southgate was relieved of his duties as manager hours after the game. Despite being quite a popular player for the club, Southgate could never quite get the same level of support in his time as manager; despite a number of hardships being put on him such as the sale of top striker Yakubu. It may come as a slightly surprise that the Boro board decided to sack Southgate moments after a win rather than Saturday where the club, at the time, suffered it’s 3rd straight home defeat at the hands of a Watford side currently struggling for form. It is most likely that Gibson and the Middlesbrough board had only fully committed to a change in leadership on the Monday.</p>
<p>An outsider to the championship may wonder how a manager who’s team sits 4th in the 2nd tier table can be sacked but <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11680_5642338,00.html">Steve Gibson’s proclamation Wednesday afternoon</a> certainly suggests that it has been building up for some time; and anyone who follows the club can relate to that. One of the most notable things in Gibson’s decision may well be the constant dip in attendance. Even though the club has been relegated and would expect smaller crowds, Boro’s home form has been woeful and left a lot of fans questioning the point in turning up to</p>
<p>You could feel some sympathy however for Southgate. Steve McLaren was a tough act the follow after all of his success. McLaren’s bid to gain success for the club cost the team, and despite selling a number of key players to balance the books on Southgate’s arrival, the club still suffered<a href="http://www.football.co.uk/middlesbrough/southgate_reveals_boro_debt_278124.shtml"> heavily from debt</a>. Southgate, even recently in the championship, has been forced to field a number of players who have came through the clubs academy. Despite Boro having one of the strongest youth teams in the country, it was hardly surprising that they were relegated from the Premiership.</p>
<p>It can’t be denied however that Southgate had no resources. He could be accused of putting all his eggs into one basket when signing Alfonso Alves for what is believed to be almost £13 million. Alves turned out to be a poor piece of business, lacking the finishing touch that the likes of Yakubu and Viduka had brought before him and was largely lethargic in his Boro days. Many questioned the price tag before he had even signed. Alves abandoned ship just before the close of the summer 2009 transfer window; his lacklustre attitude may be better suited to the sweltering heat of the Middle East. He could happily retire early with the amount of money I imagine he is making out there.</p>
<p>After the clubs relegation, they opened the Championship campaign with a 0-0 home draw to Sheffield United and were booed off the pitch by the supporters. Many people criticized the fans for this, but it wasn’t just about the result; fans had already lost confidence in Southgate and a 0-0 draw all but justified this. Southgate never appeared to have a charismatic edge as a manager and sometimes seemed too accepting in defeat. Many within the game saw him as a bit of a push over and someone who could easily cave in.</p>
<p>I myself consider Steve Gibson one of the best Chairmen in the country, a patient man who doesn’t hit the panic button at the first time of asking. He is one of a dying breed in world football; an owner who was brought up in the local environment supporting his club. Boro fans will always have a gratitude of debt towards the man, as Gibson is one of the men that saved the club from Liquidation when they almost folded towards the end of the 20th century. His decision to let Southgate go was the correct call and I believe it has come at the right time. Gibson wants the club to bounce straight back the Premiership at the first time of asking, most likely to help the club balance the finances once again. He gave Southgate every possible opportunity, something most managers don’t get. The club is sitting in a great league position and the right appointment can help give the club an initial boost and help the club realise it’s ambition of promotion at the first time of asking.</p>
<p>The only problem is who will take the job? The objective is clearly to get the club promoted this season as another season in the Championship may result in the club needing to make more cut backs. Gordon Strachan’s name has once again been churned out by the bookies as a favourite – an ideal candidate for the club, but is Boro an ideal opportunity for Strachan? If any manager is tasked with getting promotion they are going to want resources to do so and Boro lack a lot of funding. Their young squad lacks experience and any high profile name manager will want to bring in tried and tested players. If it is to be Strachan then Gibson and the board would have to take a massive gamble, put whatever they’ve got left into the club and pray that he can get the job done.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,16478_5642286,00.html">Milan Mandaric has ruled out the fantastic Nigel Pearson</a>, but you can never say never in football. I’m a big fan of Pearson and I’m not surprised that the Leicester chairman is so keen to keep hold of him. Kevin Keegan is the bookies 2nd favourite to take the job (maybe becoming a Toon heretic?) as well as Alan Curbishley being up there. However, these are two managers who would demand they’d be given resources; particularly after their most previous employers relieved them of purchasing duties.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be surprised if Gibson takes his time with this appointment, as mentioned before he is a man with a lot of patience and likes to be 100% sure before his makes a big decision. Middlesbrough’s situation makes their next managerial appointment a difficult one to call, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up being an intriguing appointment. One of the best things about Steve Gibson as a chairman is that he has the right mix of being a fan and an owner, so whoever he and the board decide on is most likely to be someone the fans can put faith in.</p>


The Inevitable Axe Of Gareth Southgate Confirmed: What Now For Middlesbrough F.C?

The Inevitable Axe Of Gareth Southgate Confirmed: What Now For Middlesbrough F.C? - World Soccer Talk

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"Football in the Middle East": Book review

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The Inevitable Axe Of Gareth Southgate Confirmed: What Now For Middlesbrough F.C?