The advisers who came to Zurich on Friday want FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is closely tied to Saudi political and soccer leaders, to learn from how Qatar was picked to host the 2022 World Cup. Qatar won in 2010 with little thought from FIFA’s then-leaders about legal safeguards and reputational challenges.

Experts and activists urge FIFA to scrutinize Saudi Arabia's human rights obligations before confirming it as the 2034 World Cup host. Concerns mirror past oversight in Qatar's 2022 bid, with calls for ongoing reviews and potential contract terminations to ensure labor rights and social reforms.

Saudi Arabia was defeated for a seat in the U.N.’s premier human rights body Wednesday after a campaign by rights groups that accused the Saudis of serious rights violations.

Following a vote by the General Assembly, Saudi Arabia suffered a major diplomatic blow on Wednesday when it became the only competing member-state to fail to secure a seat on the UN’s top human rights committee.