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On the podcast today; a special on Fifa’s decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia. How transparent was the bidding process and why does Saudi Arabia want the World Cup?
Elsewhere, we discuss the rights of migrant workers given the large scale construction work required for the stadia and infrastructure, the rights of women and of the LGBTQ+ community in Saudi Arabia and the plight of political prisoners.
Plus: How have football associations around the world reacted? What can they do? Saudi Arabia does have a strong football culture, many fans from the middle east and Asia loved the Qatar World Cup. How should we face the accusations of being Euro-centric or just being biased Westerners when we discuss all the above issues?
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Photograph: Alexei Nikolsky/AP∎