Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has stated that if the World Cup in Saudi Arabia is anything like his team’s previous visits, “it will be really good.”
Since late 2021, the Saudi Public Investment Fund has owned the Magpies. PIF purchased an 80 percent stake in the club.
As a result, Newcastle has been on multiple training trips to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s sporting presence is expanding rapidly at the moment, with many European players joining the Saudi Pro League.
Saudi Arabia is also expected to be awarded the 2034 World Cup. The deadline for bids for the tournament is October 31st, and they are the only country to have submitted one.
Having visited the country for training camps in recent years, Howe believes the tournament has the potential to be a success.
“Our trips to Riyadh and Jeddah were really two different experiences,” he said at a press conference.
“Everywhere we went was well-organized, and we were well-cared for.” If that is an indication of what a World Cup might look like, it will be structurally excellent.”
It’s clear that a side owned by Saudi Arabians was well cared for. However, human rights violations, a lack of freedom of expression and association, and people being imprisoned for doing so in the country mean that some people may not be as welcome.
Not to mention the low attendance figures for many Saudi Pro League teams, despite the league’s influx of top players. While attendance at the World Cup will be boosted by fans from other countries, if attendance is similar to that of domestic league football, the tournament will be less of a spectacle than usual.
Given that this World Cup isn’t until 2034, there’s still time for things to improve. However, at the moment, there are likely to be doubts about how good the tournament can be.
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