Saudi Arabia will formally win the right to stage the World Cup at a virtual meeting of the 211-member Fifa congress. Yesterday there remained a lack of clarity about the process, despite Saudi Arabia being the only bidder, with uncertainty among member nations as to whether they will be given a chance to vote or simply to approve the bid by acclamation, a collective round of applause.
The English FA has not spoken publicly about how it will approach the vote, but it is understood there have been board-level conversations. Some argued against using the vote to register a protest, saying it would ring hollow if England then compete in the tournament. The FA did not respond to a request for comment.
This story is from the December 11, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the December 11, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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