PARIS - 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 on Nov 30 comes ahead of the Fifa Congress on Dec 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 US, 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, ...