World Cup 2022: What It Means for Football and Why You Should Care

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Cup World 2022 New match

Who is Qatar?

Qatar is a small Arabian Peninsula country of 2.5 million people who live on a desert peninsula with a coastline on the Persian Gulf. It is the world’s largest exporter of LNG and the wealthiest country on a per capita basis. The country is also a constitutional monarchy, with the Emir as the head of state, and operates under Sharia law. Qatar’s capital, Doha, is a major commercial hub where the country signed on to host the 2022 World Cup.

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Why is the World Cup in Qatar?

When FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, it was a decision that was met with both serious concerns and a lot of skepticism. While Qatar does have the money to invest and build new stadiums, there are serious concerns about the viability of the country to host such a large event. Temperatures during the summer months can reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit and the country has very limited hotel capacity, so many have questioned how they will host a major global sporting event.

Who benefits from this decision?

As we’ve discussed, Qatar likely doesn’t have the infrastructure to host a viable World Cup. Many stadiums would need to be built from scratch and hotels would need to be built to accommodate thousands of extra visitors. It’s also an extremely wealthy country with a limited population, and is located in a part of the world that is not exactly football-crazy. There are also very serious concerns about how migrant workers will be treated and living conditions as Qatar tries to build the stadiums.

Soccer in Qatar: A dark future for migrant workers

There is almost no soccer culture in Qatar and the country has had to import players for its national team. In fact, it has often had to import its own citizens from other countries, as the majority of Qatar’s population are migrant workers who are not allowed to play on the country’s national team. There has also been serious concern about the working conditions of migrant workers in Qatar, many of whom are doing construction work related to the 2022 World Cup. Qatar’s construction industry is notorious for poor working conditions and mistreatment of migrant workers. A 2015 report by Amnesty International found widespread exploitation of migrant workers and noted that some workers have been dying at a rate of one death every two days.

What happens now?

Qatar’s win has come with serious questions and criticisms. FIFA has been accused of corruption and has come under investigation from the FBI and Swiss authorities. The organization has also had to defend its decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, but has had to defend its decision to not move the World Cup to another country. While there has been talk about moving the tournament to the winter, this would likely mean the tournament would not be as profitable for broadcasters. This is because many people would rather spend the winter indoors than attend a football match.

How to Help?

You can help by raising awareness of the plight of migrant workers in Qatar and letting others know about the conditions faced by each of these people. If you’re in the U.S., you can also sign a petition asking the government to investigate FIFA and help protect migrant workers. You can also support organizations working to protect migrant workers by donating to charities like the International Trade Union Confederation or Human Rights Watch. You can also report abuse and mistreatment of migrant workers to the government through a website like Badsta. Finally, you can also sign a petition asking FIFA to move the 2022 World Cup to a different country that doesn’t mistreat its workers.