The Football Association of England (FA) stated that it had received assurances from Saudi Arabia that LGBTQ fans would be “safe and welcome” during the 2034 World Cup, clarifying its backing for the Gulf nation’s successful bid, according to an official statement released last week. Debbie Hewitt, chair of the FA, stated that the decision to support Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup was “not difficult”, as the organizers made numerous significant commitments. Hewitt told BBC Radio 5 Live that the FA asked “many questions” before backing the bid. “It wasn’t a difficult decision – it was a very thorough process,” he said. “We asked a lot of questions, they gave us a lot of time and they gave us a lot of commitments and I think the important thing is that we will now work with them over the next 10 years leading up to the tournament to make sure that those commitments are delivered – from both sides,” Hewitt added The FA held a meeting with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) last month to discuss the bid in greater detail. They stated that they…
