(Commonwealth Union)_Qatar received hosting rights to the FIFA World Cup for the year 2022, and ever since then, the decision has been met with criticism and controversy. One of the biggest reasons for this includes the allegations of corruption and violation of human rights which are riddled within the region. However, another pressing concern is the weather conditions which compel the tournament to be moved to November when it is cooler in comparison to the summer months where heat conditions are extreme.
This is undoubtedly the first time that the tournament is scheduled to take place in November, in comparison to the usual June schedule. This is a problem because the change in dates result in a clash between Europe’s domestic leagues which are generally played at this time. As such, the leagues have paused their schedules to allow the World Cup to take place.
Another controversy that sparked were the allegations which stated that the hosting country bribed the organisers in order to secure the greatest number of votes in order to go ahead with the tournament in Qatar. These allegations were placed by the US Department of Justice, and were firmly denied by Qatar. The CEO of Qatar for the tournament Nasser Al Khater noted that ever since the decision was made in their favour they had been “unfairly treated and scrutinised”.
Furthermore, another concern highlighted by critiques was the unfair and unjust treatment migrant workers in Qatar had to face. A lengthy report by Amnesty outlined that migrant workers were being exploited with harsh working conditions and hours, and no proper compensation. The Labour Department has stated that this is untrue, however, they are working on further improving lifestyles of migrant workers in Qatar.
Due to these controversies, and many more such as restrictions on the LGBT community and the strict laws imposed against consumption of alcohol made Qatar a location which wasn’t received well with the public for the FIFA World Cup.