ENGLAND LGBTQ+ GROUP: NO PRIDE ONLY SHAME IN A SAUDI WORLD CUP
THREE LIONS PRIDE have slammed FIFA’S decision to effectively award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia – a country where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death.
The tournament is yet to be awarded, but Saudi Arabia are the only country left in the running after a last-minute bid withdrawal by Australia.
England’s largest LGBTQ+ fan group have accused world football’s governing body of putting profit before human rights – and believe the awarding of the tournament to both Qatar and Saudi Arabia within 12 years reveals the contempt the community is held in.
“The overriding emotions are disillusionment and trepidation,” said Joe White, a founder member of Three Lions Pride.
“We are now looking at having been ‘illegal’ at half of the World Cups since 2018 – if that isn’t indicative of football not being a game for all, we are not sure what is.
“In the current environment and given the legal situation [in Saudi Arabia], we would provide our members with very similar advice to the Qatar World Cup in 2022 – we cannot guarantee your safety, and Qatar proved that neither can FIFA.
“It is a continuation of the progression that FIFA have undertaken whilst Gianni Infantino has been at the helm – PR over people, finances over fans, ego over environment. Until effective enforcement and implementation of commitments on human rights, the environment and other social aspects of the game are demanded from the very top of FIFA, we are facing a football in the future that is only for the elite few.
“Not football for the masses, who made this the beautiful global game it has grown into.”
The Three Lions Pride group did not travel to Qatar for last winter’s World Cup after failing to receive assurances over their safety from FIFA.
And if any lessons were learned from that tournament, the group is yet to hear what they were.
White said: “Given the recent history of organisations such as FIFA, there is a high amount of scepticism and mistrust in their management of major tournaments.
“We have still yet to have the debrief on lessons learned from Qatar that was promised at the start of 2023. FIFA are running away from their obligations, duties and responsibilities as custodians of the game.
“Fans, pundits and players could use this as a productive platform to raise human rights, but this needs to be a consistent, strong message otherwise the legacy will once again be limited.
“The potential for another experience like 2022 is very high. But we are more co-ordinated, global and visible than when Qatar was awarded the World Cup – silence is not an option, and FIFA will hear fans.”