Fifa Qatar World Cup 2022 kicks off on Sunday, 20th November 2022. And the world cannot keep calm since everyone can “feel the magic in the air.” The host, Qatar, will face off against Ecuador in the first match of the 2022 World Cup.
This is the second time the World cup is being held in Asia and the first one to ever be held in an Arab nation. But, since Qatar was selected to host this magnificent global event, numerous controversies started circulating around it.
The cloud of controversies is shrouding Qatar World Cup stadiums as different facts evidently emerge. The country already has a rough summer, making it adverse to the environment for players. On top of that, rumors of bribery, human rights abuse, and sudden deaths of immigrant workers make the situation hazier.
A considerable number of world cup lovers are turning into naysayers in the wake of this stirring global event. Will the world cup theme keep reigning as the ball finally starts rolling? Let’s pinpoint all the rumors surrounding Qatar World Cup 2022.
5 Qatar World Cup Controversies You Might Have Missed!
The Arabian Gulf country has been welcoming millions of fans from around the world. But, starting from 2010, when Qatar was selected to be hosting the World Cup 2022, it has been causing quite a stir. Here are some controversies –
1. Bribery And Corruption
Major world cup scandals are coming out surrounding world cup bribery. I know your eyes are off the sockets, but the rumor suggests as you read.
The selection of FIFA world cup 2022 was announced in 2010. Qatar won the bid against the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
But that was not the end of it – through the years following the biding – various officials from FIFA and other prestigious organizations were accused of accepting bribes. As a result, dozens of FIFA officials were banned who were part of the process that selected Qatar as the host.
Following the incident, the European Soccer head Micheal Platini was arrested in 2019. He was allegedly connected to bribery of $2 million that made Qatar the host of the 2022 World cup.
As if it was not the end of the story. According to the regional director of the British Centre, Amjad Taha, eight Ecuadorian players were allegedly bribed with $7.4 million to lose the match against the host, Qatar.
2. 6500 Deaths Of Immigrant Labors
The accusations and rumors against Qatar grow darker and darker. Qatar, a small country with 3 million population, lacks the infrastructure to accommodate millions of global visitors for the grand event.
Since the announcement of Qatar hosting Qatar World Cup 2022 in 2010, they have focused on buildings, hotels, highways, and stadiums across Qatar. Naturally, this called for cheap labor.
The country hosts a massive number of migrant workers who make up 90% of the workforce the country has to offer. The migrant workers almost outnumber the Qatari residents. These migrant workers stretch their visas based on their employment.
Unfortunately, these migrant workers are said to live with poor living conditions, which leave them with increasing death rates. In addition, the laborers are subjected to forced labor and are not allowed to leave the country.
Reports suggest that around 6500 migrant workers have died since 2010. Most of these deaths are connected to workplace accidents, car crashes, excessive heat, suicides, and other reasons.
Both Qatar and FIFA dispute the number of death. Qatar claims to be several work-related death 3 ( and 37 non-work-related works ).
According to Qatar, the world cup is a fine opportunity for enhancing welfare standards. However, a human rights group called on FIFA, asking them to compensate the families of the dead workers with not less than $440 million.
Minky Worden from Human Rights Watch said –
"We believe that players don't want to play in stadiums that workers died to build. We believe that fans don't want to stay in hotels or use metros that workers died to build,"
3. Even A November Schedule May Not Cool Down The Heat
The weather in Qatar is considerably hot and humid, which caused the event to push until November. However, the timing has made many professional soccer players worried. It has disrupted many league schedules.
Major leagues in German, Spain, and England had to announce a two-month break to adjust and accommodate the odd timing of the world cup.
Usually, the Premiere league players get 31 days to ready and 37 days to recover from a summertime world cup. But, this year, that time has decreased to 7 and 8 days.
Also, Qatar’s heat does not seem ideal for players to be running around for 90 minutes straight. The stadiums are said to equip different cooling methods to adjust the temperature. But many are still concerned about it.
4. Human Rights Concerns Surrounding Qatar World Cup 2022
Recently, Human Rights Watch released a 42-page report pointing to several concerns that violets several human rights in Qatar.
According to Worden, the “human rights situation in Qatar is bad,”
Consensual sex outside marriage is criminalized as rape under the Penal Code of Qatar. Also, the country criminalizes homosexuality. Men accused of homosexual relationships can be punished with 7 years of imprisonment by the Qatar government.
Even the Qatari ambassador for the 2022 Qatar World Cup has addressed homosexuality as “damage in the mind.” However, Ambassador Khalid Salman has stated that “everybody” – the visitors to the event – “have to accept our rules.”
Also, many countries are concerned about alcohol restrictions according to Qatar laws. People above the age of 21 are free to drink alcohol in bars. But it is prohibited in public. The World Cup is an event to celebrate and cannot be left dry. Alcohol is banned in the stadium which leaves many fans worried.
5. FIFA Pleads With Nations To Not Highlight The Issues!
FIFA does not encourage or enjoy the negative issues surrounding the Qatar World Cup. So, they don’t plead with different nations to “focus on football.” They also urge to “not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists.”
Qatar World Cup: The World Protests Together
People worldwide are coming together to condemn both FIFA and Qatar for all the events surrounding the Qatar World Cup. Furthermore, global teams and football fans worldwide are coming together to protest against Several human rights violations by Qatar and FIFA’s decision to hold the event there.
1. European Teams To Wear Rainbow-Colored Armbands To Protest Against Anti-LGBTQ Laws
Eight teams, including the reigning champion, France, are set to protest against the anti-LGBTQ laws of Qatar. Belgium, England, France, and Germany are ready to wear a rainbow-colored armband during the world cup. They will wear this OneLove armband to represent LGBTQ rights.
2. Denmark Redesigns Their Team Shirts To Protest For Migrant Workers In Qatar
The Danish World Cup team has redesigned the shirts into black color to protest for the lives of the migrant workers. The shirts also feature a faded version of the national badge honoring the lives of the migrant workers who died in Qatar. According to the reports by the Guardian, around 6500 migrant workers died working to develop Qatar’s infrastructure for the world cup.
3. 200 Sports Bars In Germany Signs Up To The #KeinKatarInMeinerKneipe Movement
Two hundred sports bars in Germany have started the #KeinKatarInMeinerKneipe movement. It means no “No Qatar in My Pub.” they are refusing to broadcast the world cam matches during the four weeks of the global events.
Joschik Pech, the Berlin sports pub owner, revealed in An Euronews interview that –
"We don't feel good about watching the games and having fun knowing that it's an absolute dictatorship where sexuality cannot be freely expressed or is severely persecuted."
4. Paris Will Not Broadcast The World Cup
Paris and several other known cities in France will not broadcast the global event as a protest against the human rights records of Qatar. Aside from the previous reigning champions wearing the one love bands, banning the broadcasting has made the situation quite serious.
Concluding Thoughts
The accommodations Qatar has built for foreign visitors during the Qatar World Cup are remarkably expensive. It is another issue making many football lovers sell their tickets. The world cup has never been so controversial regarding the host and their treatment of the global guest they are ready to welcome.
However, the world still awaits the start of the global event. Let’s hope that the ball rolls in the right direction from 20th November.
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