From Human Rights Concerns to FIFA Corruption and a World Cup in the Desert:
Being given the chance to host one of the biggest sporting events in the world is one that no one would ever deny but what are the stakes of being given such a huge responsibility? While hosting the World Cup has huge advantages and everybody loves the story of a hero arising and the host team winning the Cup, there’s also a darker side to being chosen as the host which is often called the “Curse of the Champion”. Having the piercing eyes of the entire world set on you for not just keeping up with the legacy but also surpassing it somehow, while many waits for you to fail is difficult and Qatar might just be the biggest target of this grim curse.
FIFA World Cup 2022 Controversies:
FIFA World Cup 2022 has just started but is expected to be full of surprises as it is being called the most controversial World Cup ever. The controversies started back in 2010 when Qatar was chosen as the host for FIFA. Accusations regarding Qatar bribing FIFA members with more than $7 million have been getting attention with many football fans boycotting a World Cup for the first time in 32 years. Qatar’s hot and dry weather is also the reason that the World Cup is being played during the winter for the first time ever. Not to miss, this is also the last World Cup for some of the GOAT players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo which automatically means that people are invested more than ever.
Qatar is the first-ever Muslim country and a Middle Eastern state to host a World Cup as well as the smallest nation to do so too. At the opening ceremony of the much-awaited football event, the host, Gary Lineker, welcomed everyone by saying what seems to be the perfect way to describe this world cup,
“It’s the most controversial World Cup in history and a ball hasn’t even been kicked.”
Qatari Laws Criticism:
The controversies are never ending as the rules and laws made by the Qatari government are attracting attention more and more. The first one was Qatar announcing the ban on alcohol in stadiums just 2 days before the first match started. Fans all over the world were super disappointed with the news of Qatar restricting beer sales in all 8 stadiums chosen for the biggest sports event. As a Muslim country, Qatar takes its alcohol laws very seriously and the sale and drinking of alcohol are strictly prohibited in public areas. However, for the football fans who are accustomed to drinking in the stadiums while cheering their team on, the decision came as an unwelcome surprise. A key sponsor of FIFA, Budweiser, an alcohol company, paid $75 million to sell their beer at the World Cup however, Qatar’s surprise reversal has caused a marketing rift for the company. Budweiser will now be selling its first ever non-alcoholic beverage ‘Bud Zero’, hoping their targets are met.
“A sports analyst pointed out how this new twist shows that FIFA has no control over its own tournament as they are risking alienating one of their key sponsors and long-time partner just days before the event begins.”
Human Rights Violation and Abuse of Labor:
The second controversy against Qatar is a much bigger one and the one which has caused even BBC to boycott the world cup. This is the concern regarding their unfair and poor treatment of migrant workers and laborers. The issue was highlighted in 2016 when Amnesty International, an NGO working for human rights, published a report regarding Qatar’s treatment of labor workers. According to the report, most of the workers are immigrants and are treated horribly to the point of not being given access to basic human necessities like water, electricity, and sewage. The workers are forced to endure the worst working conditions and long hours in the unforgiving hot and dry climate of Qatar where the temperature can easily reach up to 45 °C. The workers are not even paid what they were promised during their hiring if paid at all, and their passports are also seized by contractors so that they do not leave. A total of 6500 workers have died and are directly related to the world cup as the country has been constructing sites for it. People and human rights activists all over the world are boycotting FIFA due to the exploitative and harsh working conditions of the migrant workers in Qatar who are living their lives in conditions that are below the level of standard living conditions for humans.
West’s Hypocrisy Over a Muslim Arab Country:
Another reason for people boycotting the World Cup is simply that the big West cannot accept that a tiny Muslim Arab nation has taken over the charge of something so big. However, the West is covering the actual reason behind others. And here is where the situation become two-sided as many football fans also bashed BBC when it decided to ignore the opening ceremony of the World Cup and did not telecast it. The fans called out double standards of BBC boycotting Qatar for its abuse of labor while being completely content with airing the Winter Olympics that were hosted by China, a country accused of committing genocide. The hypocrisy was not lost on the fans who believe the actual reason for BBC not airing the opening ceremony is the fact that a Muslim Arab country is hosting it. LGBTQ+ being illegal is also one of the biggest causes of the rift. Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA also called out Europe on its double standards, saying the country’s own migrant conditions are not anything better and they should focus on themselves before schooling someone else on morals.
“Europe should stop the criticism and focus on improving its migrants’ conditions. What we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons.”
Qatar Beyond FIFA 2022:
What’s impressive is that a Muslim Arab and Middle Eastern country has managed to stand its ground in front of all the big powers. It is no doubt that Qatar has managed to steal the spotlight with its name being on the tip of every tongue in the world. Qatar has gone all out to make this World Cup an unforgettable one, be it their $290 billion budget or constructing some of the best stadiums in the world from scratch, each with its own specific features. Whether Qatar World Cup becomes a hit or a miss, what’s clear as the day is that the economic boost and futuristic infrastructure that Qatar has now, due to the World Cup, will surely help their upcoming generation lead a better and bigger life.
