2024 is perhaps the first year of football in a long time where it’s hard to pick out one singular standout moment of the year. 2023 saw Manchester City lift the treble, 2022 was Lionel Messi‘s ascent to immortality, 2021 was Italy’s Euro triumph, and before that, we did not have to look past Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to find a standout. But in 2024 – for the first time in years – the standout thing was that there wasn’t a standout moment.

And perhaps the best way to signal the fact that there wasn’t a standout was the fact that neither Messi nor Ronaldo made it into the Top 30 of the Ballon d’Or nominees. The award they couldn’t stop winning at one point had finally moved on for good.

Football in 2024 saw surprises. Perhaps more than we’re used to. Bayern Munich no longer won the Bundesliga, dark horses Spain won the Euros, and a defensive midfielder won the Ballon d’Or. For good heavens, Ivory Coast won the Africa Cup of Nations after sacking their manager mid-tournament!

And what a ride that was. Ivory Coast barely scraped through to the knockouts in an AFCON on home soil. Their manager was sacked midway and the collapse couldn’t look more calamitous. Neither could the comeback look more glorious than it ended up being. ‘The Elephants’ beat everyone in the knockouts, including then-defending champions Senegal, to claim a historic AFCON in their own territory.

What about Bayer Leverkusen? Not only did they dethrone the seemingly undethronable, they went invincible. Zero losses in 34 Bundesliga games. Zero losses in the German Cup. And were it not for a freak Europa League final defeat, it’d be zero losses all season. Xabi Alonso at the wheel, Florian Wirtz in the hole, Leverkusen were the team of the year.

Let’s come to Spain. Before Euro 2024, England were heavyweights. People fancied Germany on home soil. France are always favourites. But one team beat them all. Spain. They didn’t boast the best team, but undeniably played the best football.

Rodri was a metronome. His hype took away the shine from midfield partner Fabian Ruiz who was arguably better. Nico Williams was a tear on the flanks, and his wing partner? Phew. Superlatives fall short when one tries to describe what Lamine Yamal is doing at 17.

It’s hard to live up to the words ‘The Next Messi’. But Lamine Yamal may very well just do it.

He finished 8th in the Ballon d’Or. At 17!

Perhaps the Ballon d’Or, and the fickle nature of individual awards, does not deserve the debate it gets. But it must certainly be discussed to celebrate the best individual players. The sweetest cream of the crop. And in 2024, there were three. Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodri.

Bellingham flew at Real Madrid, and was decisive whenever the occasion demanded it. El Clasico winner? Check. Champions League in your first season at Real Madrid? Check. Bicycle-kick 95th minute equaliser at the Euros? Check.

His teammate Vinicius was stratospheric. If footballers were superheroes, no one would be feared more than Vinicius in the current scenario. Without a shadow of doubt, the player in world football most capable of turning a game on its head with the click of a finger.

But the golden ball went to Rodri. In a game that typically needs you to have a goal tally to challenge for the big honours, Rodri was crowned for being the ticking heartbeat of Manchester City and Spain. Just look at how worse off his club is, now that he’s injured. Rodri was so good that a people needed to sit up and realize that a defensive midfielder may just be the most important player in the world.

Football in 2024 was uncertain. It was diverse. It had no singular standout. It saw Pep Guardiola lose eight out of 11 games. It saw Kylian Mbappe finally join Real Madrid. It was a call back to the pre-Messi and Ronaldo era. And it’s time we embrace it.

FIFA on Wednesday confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup, underlining the Gulf kingdom’s growing influence in world sport despite criticism of the country’s human rights record. At the same time, a virtual Congress of world football’s governing body confirmed that Morocco, Spain and Portugal will be joint hosts of the 2030 World Cup, in which three games will also be played in South America. The Saudi bid was waved through by acclamation during the meeting of FIFA’s 211 national member associations, with no rivals standing in its way.

“It is a proud day, a day of celebration, a day that we invite the entire world to Saudi Arabia,” said Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal al Saud, the Saudi Minister of Sports.

“We intend to have an extraordinary version of the World Cup in our kingdom.”

However, there was immediate condemnation from rights groups who insisted that handing the organisation of the tournament to the country puts the lives of construction workers at risk and “marks a moment of great danger”.

FIFA had invoked its principle of rotating the World Cup between continents, which meant only bids from Asia or Oceania were welcome for 2034.

The unprecedented organisation of the 2030 tournament will involve three continental confederations in Europe, Africa and South America, while the next World Cup in 2026 — the first involving 48 teams — will take place across North America.

Controversially, the body gave potential bidders barely a month last year to submit candidacies, and Australia and Indonesia quickly abandoned their interest.

That left Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate, clearing the way for the World Cup to return to the Gulf region so soon after Qatar hosted in 2022.

The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been using sport for some time to amass influence and improve its global image — critics, though, say he is effectively “sportswashing” by diverting attention from Saudi Arabia’s rights record.

‘Moment of great danger’

The awarding of the World Cup to Saudi will make the issue of human rights a major talking point again, just as it was two years ago.

“We are inclusive and we are non-discriminatory, and we want to obtain positive social impact,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in closing remarks.

“We are of course aware of critics and fears, and I fully trust our hosts to address all open points from this process and deliver a FIFA World Cup which meets expectations.”

He added that “social improvements and positive human rights impacts” are “responsibilities of hosting a World Cup.”

Rights groups highlight mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country’s male guardianship system. Free expression is severely restricted too.

FIFA’s decision to award the tournament to Saudi Arabia “despite the well-known and severe risks to residents, migrant workers and visiting fans alike, marks a moment of great danger,” Amnesty International and 20 other organisations said in a joint statement. 

“Based on clear evidence to date, FIFA knows workers will be exploited and even die without fundamental reforms in Saudi Arabia, and yet has chosen to press ahead regardless,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport.

‘Centenary celebration’

The 2030 tournament will mark a century since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay, and as a result the unrivalled joint bid by Morocco, Spain and Portugal will also see the South American nation handed one game along with Argentina and Paraguay.

FIFA confirmed over a year ago that the joint proposal led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal was the sole contender for 2030, with all other potential candidacies having fallen by the wayside.

Four South American countries launched a joint bid in 2019, convinced that the centenary World Cup should entirely take place on the same continent where it all began.

Meanwhile, Morocco replaced Ukraine as a partner for Spain and Portugal, while South America agreed to step aside in exchange for hosting three games.

Following these “centenary celebrations” in the southern hemisphere winter, the six teams involved will cross the Atlantic to play the rest of the tournament.

Spain, which hosted the 1982 World Cup, should be the centrepiece as it boasts 11 of the 20 proposed stadiums.

Morocco — after failing on five previous occasions to be awarded the staging of the tournament — will become the second African nation to host the competition after South Africa in 2010.

Potential venues for the July 21 final include the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and Barcelona’s renovated Camp Nou as well as the planned Hassan II stadium between Casablanca and Rabat, set to boast a capacity of 115,000.

FIFA’s decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia puts many lives at risk and “marks a moment of great danger”, Amnesty International and 20 other organisations warned on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia, which was the sole candidate, was rubber-stamped as the 2034 hosts at a virtual FIFA Congress, bringing the World Cup back to the Gulf region just 12 years after Qatar hosted in 2022. Awarding the tournament to Saudi Arabia “despite the well-known and severe risks to residents, migrant workers and visiting fans alike, marks a moment of great danger,” Amnesty and organisations including Human Rights Watch, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights and the Football Supporters Europe group said in a statement.

“As global and regional human rights organisations, trade unions, fans groups and organisations representing migrant workers, many of us have long highlighted the severe risks posed by Saudi Arabia’s hosting of mega-sporting events,” the groups said.

“By awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia without meaningful protections, FIFA has today decided both to ignore our warnings and discard its own human rights policies.”

‘Weak human rights’

FIFA’s own evaluation report, released last month, considered Saudi’s bid to be “medium risk” for human rights, adding that implementing reforms could take “significant effort and time”.

Rights groups have long highlighted mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country’s male guardianship system.

Free expression is severely restricted, with some people handed lengthy jail terms over critical posts on social media.

“FIFA can never claim that it did not know the severity of the risks of hosting its flagship event in a country with such weak human rights protections,” said the statement. 

“Nor can the national Football Associations voting to approve it.

“It is evident that without urgent action and comprehensive reforms, the 2034 World Cup will be tarnished by repression, discrimination and exploitation on a massive scale.” 

Saudi Arabia, which now hosts several high-profile events including Formula One, heavyweight boxing and tennis’ WTA Finals, is often accused of “sportswashing” — using sport to divert attention from its rights record.

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Labour Rights and Sport, said the decision to award the World Cup to Saudi Arabia “without ensuring adequate human rights protections are in place” will put many lives at risk. 

“Based on clear evidence to date, FIFA knows workers will be exploited and even die without fundamental reforms in Saudi Arabia, and yet has chosen to press ahead regardless,” he said. 

“The organisation risks bearing a heavy responsibility for many of the human rights abuses that will follow.

“At every stage of this bidding process, FIFA has shown its commitment to human rights to be a sham.”

The organisations said they would mobilise over the coming decade to ensure the “violations and abuses of this World Cup” are not ignored.

“FIFA must urgently change course and ensure that the World Cup is accompanied by wide-ranging reforms in Saudi Arabia, or risk a decade of exploitation, discrimination and repression connected to its flagship tournament,” said Cockburn.

FIFA will confirm the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups on Wednesday, with a joint bid led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal set to be awarded the former, and the latter being handed to Saudi Arabia. The awarding of hosting rights for both tournaments will go to a vote during a FIFA Congress to be held virtually, but there is no doubt about the outcomes with neither bid having a rival. The 2030 tournament will mark a century since the first World Cup was held in Uruguay, and as a result the bid will also see the South American nation handed a game along with Argentina and Paraguay.

That makes it a remarkable and completely unprecedented bid, involving three different continental confederations.

FIFA already confirmed over a year ago that the joint proposal led by Morocco, Spain and Portugal was the sole contender for 2030, with all other potential candidacies having fallen by the wayside.

A joint British and Irish bid was abandoned when they decided to focus on hosting Euro 2028, while there were suggestions of a bid from South Korea, China, Japan and North Korea.

Four South American countries launched a joint bid in 2019, convinced that the centenary World Cup should entirely take place on the same continent where it all began.

In late 2022, UEFA promoted a bid uniting Spain and Portugal with war-torn Ukraine in a show of “solidarity” following the Russian invasion.

However, Ukraine was quietly dropped from that candidacy last year as Morocco joined forces with the Iberian neighbours, while South America agreed to step aside in exchange for being awarded the hosting of three games, one each for Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.

Morocco plans mega stadium

Following these “centenary celebrations” in the comparative chill of the southern hemisphere winter, the six teams involved — along with their fans — will have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to play a part in the remaining 101 matches.

This tentacular tournament will conclude with the final on July 21, and it is yet to be seen where that game will be staged.

Spain, which hosted the 1982 World Cup, is set to be the centrepiece as it boasts 11 of the 20 proposed stadiums.

Morocco — which has tried and failed on five previous occasions to be awarded the staging of the tournament — will become the second African nation to host the competition after South Africa in 2010.

Potential venues for the final include the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid and Barcelona’s renovated Camp Nou, as well as the planned Hassan II stadium between Casablanca and Rabat, which is set to become “the biggest stadium in the world” with a capacity of 115,000.

Portugal, which hosted Euro 2004, will offer two stadiums in Lisbon and one in Porto, and hopes to stage a semi-final.

Human rights concerns

As for 2034, FIFA invoked its principle of continental rotation, therefore only welcoming bids from Asia or Oceania — the 2026 World Cup, the first involving 48 teams, will take place across North America.

Controversially, the body gave potential bidders barely a month late last year to submit candidacies, and Australia and Indonesia quickly abandoned their interest.

That left Saudi Arabia as the sole candidate, clearing the way for the World Cup to return to the Gulf region following Qatar’s hosting in 2022.

The kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been using sport for some time now to amass influence and improve its global image.

Being handed the 2034 World Cup will be a crowning moment, and Saudi will win despite currently only boasting two stadiums with a capacity of 40,000, when 14 are required.

Beyond that logistical challenge, the baking temperatures in the northern hemisphere summer could mean pushing the tournament back to later in the year, as happened in 2022.

However, the fact that Ramadan will take place in December that year is an added complication.

Moreover, the awarding of the World Cup to Saudi will make the issue of human rights a major talking point again, just as in 2022.

Rights groups highlight mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country’s male guardianship system. Free expression is severely restricted too.

Saudi Arabia, which is hosting several high-profile events including Formula One and the WTA Finals tennis, is often accused of “sportswashing” — using sport to divert attention from its rights record.

Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup was considered “medium risk” for human rights by FIFA in its evaluation report, which said implementing reforms could take “significant time and effort”. The release of the report Saturday comes ahead of the FIFA Congress on December 11, when a vote will be held to select the hosts for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. Saudi Arabia is the lone candidate for 2034 while Morocco, Spain and Portugal have formed a joint bid for the 2030 tournament, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay all set to host a match as part of the centenary edition. The Saudi bid “presents a very strong all-round proposition, reflected in the results of the technical evaluation, which assesses the proposed infrastructure (both sporting and general) as well as its commercial potential,” FIFA said in its report.

But football’s world governing body cautioned, “in terms of human rights, the undertaking involved in implementing the various measures… particularly in certain areas, could involve significant effort and time”.

FIFA said that was the basis for the elevated risk rating for a bid that received an average score of 4.2 out of 5 — higher than the combined bid by the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup.

“It is important to note that the bid involves significant opportunities for positive human rights impact,” added FIFA.

“There is good potential that the tournament could serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms and contribute to positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region that go beyond the scope of the tournament itself.”

Saudi Arabia has yet to build several proposed stadiums proposed for a tournament that could be held in winter, as was the case in Qatar.

Human rights, a source of deep controversy at the 2022 World Cup in neighbouring Qatar, threatens to become a major talking point once again in the run-up to 2034.

Rights groups highlight mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country’s male guardianship system.

Free expression is severely restricted, with some people handed lengthy jail terms over critical posts on social media.

Saudi Arabia, which is hosting several high-profile events including Formula One and the WTA Finals tennis, is often accused of “sportswashing” — using sport to divert attention from its rights record.