The Qatar bid to win the World Cup: Népotisme? Matt Miller, former US Department of Justice official, interviewed with Piers Morgan

Billions of people will watch the World Cup in Qatar, fixated on one of the world’s premier sporting festivals. A political tempest has been unleashed by the governing body of football, where ethical, business and geopolitical issues shape the modern world.

In recent years, Qatari authorities have introduced “several promising labor reform initiatives,” according to Human Rights Watch. But “significant gaps remain,” it said, including “widespread wage abuses” and failure to “investigate the causes of deaths of thousands of migrant workers.”

Between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died as a result of work done on projects connected to the World Cup, said the Secretary General of the Supreme Committee in an interview with Piers Morgan.

The leaders of European soccer federations arrived at a hotel close to the World Cup match in order to hold a meeting. The five-star property, converted into the tournament headquarters for FIFA leadership, was an unlikely setting for a fight. But with the matches about to begin, it would have to do.

How, then, did Qatar get chosen? As an endless stream of investigative journalism alleges, it won the bid by rigging the process from top to bottom. Qatar strongly denies the allegations.

Shortly after France’s supporting vote, for instance, Qatar Sports Investments purchased the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club; around the same time, another Qatari firm bought a piece of Veolia, a French energy and waste company.

Not to mention: A firm connected to the Qatari sovereign fund hired the son of Michel Platini, the former head of the European football association. Népotisme? Zut alors!

But don’t take our word for it. It was the most corrupt thing I have ever witnessed in my career, Matt Miller, a former Department of Justice official who traveled with Eric Holder to witness the bidding process, told us.

The #PayUpFIFA campaign against Qatar’s media ban: The Socceroos vs. Australia’s national soccer team

To make sure the image happens, Qatar has banned international television crews from filming in the country without prior approval. As James Lynch, from London-based human rights group FairSquare, told the Guardian, these “extraordinarily sweeping range of restrictions” would make it very difficult for media to cover any stories not strictly related to games.

By the end of the tournament, every single person who is expected to see it will know what is happening off screen.

By then the federations and representatives of FIFA had been meeting on and off for months about a plan by the group of national teams to wear multicolored armbands with the message “One Love” during their matches at the tournament in Qatar. FIFA had been displeased by the idea, but the teams — which included the tournament contenders Germany, England, the Netherlands and Belgium — felt a tacit peace had been agreed to: The teams would wear the armbands, and FIFA would look the other way, then quietly fine them later for breaking its uniform rules.

The US Soccer has not made public any statements regarding the #PayUpFIFA campaign. America has a particular mandate to champion these values as the richest country in the world and also because of the current administration’s pledge to hold Gulf autocrats accountable.

The English Football Association has been weak in its response. After European football federations promised to call out Qatar with more than “just wearing a t-shirt,” they ended up settling on wearing rainbow armbands, which, quite literally, amount to less than a t-shirt.

All national teams need to step up – and players have a crucial role to play in this effort as well. We can only imagine the level of pressure already on these athletes to perform. They have dreamed about it since they were small and have given up a lot in order to make it happen.

They didn’t start kicking a football because they didn’t know they were going to have to speak about human rights. There is a long tradition of athlete activism, from Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their hands in Mexico City to Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford confronting child hunger in the United Kingdom.

It does not mean that every player has to speak out. But those who do should be supported and amplified – like the Socceroos, Australia’s national soccer team, who called for remediation for workers who have been harmed and the decriminalization of all same-sex relationships in Qatar.

After all, this is about more than the World Cup. Is it possible for authoritarian regimes to get away with hijacking the sports we love, if people believe in democracy and human rights?

Saudi Arabia is trying to sportswash its image through two companies. Russia and Bahrain have tried to do it through Formula One. If we can make a stand against one of the world’s richest countries on the global stage, it might make people more concerned about what is happening in their own country.

Our activism could also change the calculus for FIFA – which might be less inclined to award the World Cup to countries like Qatar if they know that doing so will result in years of boycotts, protests and damaging press.

This is important. Because as every football fan knows, the World Cup is more than a tournament. The eclipse has been compared to a global eclipse in which the whole planet is covered by the sun.

Hosting a major sporting event, like the Olympics, is about much more than a country’s politics. It’s also about its culture and its people, their hopes and their dreams.

The first match did not go off without controversy. They lingered throughout the tournament and even became more pointed as Qatari leadership and FIFA officials pushed back on the issues.

Now that the goals have started flying in – including two for Saudi Arabia in their shock victory over Lionel Messi’s Argentina on Tuesday – FIFA will hope the politics will turn into a sideshow, even among viewers morally conflicted at watching their team in such circumstances. But the political subplot also risks a PR debacle.

And criticism from football fan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about a ban on players wearing LGBTQ+ OneLove armbands Tuesday turned a sporting spectacular back into an international diplomatic spat.

“One of the most powerful things about football, about soccer, is potential to bring the world together,” Blinken told reporters in Doha Tuesday, alongside top Qatari officials.

It always concerns me when we see restrictions on freedom of expression. When the expression is for diversity and for inclusion, it is even more special. No one should be forced to choose between supporting these values and playing for their team, according to Blinken.

Briana Scurry, a World Cup-winning goalie for the US women’s national team, told CNN Tuesday that the decision of venue for the World Cup had brought this political storm.

The Ubiquitous anthem in Iran: The impact of a global sporting event on the Indian and Middle East hemisphere

For instance, Iranian players declined to sing their national anthem in their opening game against England on Monday, in a possible protest about the violent suppression of dissent rocking the Islamic Republic.

But discord stirred by this particular tournament, exacerbated by global football chiefs’ questionable PR responses, is offering a prism for geopolitical trends that are shaking old global centers of power at a time when the Western-led liberal order is under an unprecedented challenge.

Football is not the only sport changing because of this global power shift. The balance of power in the world of cricket has been changed by the TV audience in India who watch the fast and furious Indian Premiere League. Formula One, which rivals football’s international footprint, now sends its 200 mph racers onto multiple Middle East circuits. Saudi Arabia is trying to break the dominance of the longstanding PGA tour in the US by buying golf stars with huge pay incentives.

It’s not new for a global sporting event to unfold in a politically charged atmosphere. Jesse Owens, a US athlete, presented a different version of Hitler’s Nazi master race when he competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, US track stars Tommie Smith and John Carlos promoted civil rights with Black power salutes from the medal podium. Muhammad Ali was a boxer but also a racial and political figure. The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games were boycotted due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

“It is important to point out that FIFA has itself been accorded victim status in the US criminal proceedings and senior FIFA officials are in regular contact with the US Department of Justice.”

The Qatari Crisis at the World Cup: Why Europeans aren’t Suggesting a Second World Cup Colour Card? “Why do we feel the need for a World Cup?” asked Infantino

The kerfuffle, meanwhile, over an attempt by the captains of European nations to promote LGTBQ+ issues exemplifies cultural and religious clashes at this World Cup, which are unfolding every day between Western and conservative developing nations and in developed societies that include many migrant communities and diverse creeds and religions.

The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, and Wales would join the OneLove campaign. There are concerns that a second yellow card in a match would result in them being sent off, something the governing associations accused the world governing body of threatening.

“We did not think that was going to happen,” said Piara Powar, executive director of the Fare Network. “We were told by the Qatari’s that people who waved rainbow flags openly on the streets of Doha, for example, would not be approached. They knew that the World Cup was a global event, but they didn’t accept it as an appropriate symbol of pride in the country.

“Today I feel Qatari. I feel as if I’m Arab today. Today I feel African. I feel gay today. I feel disabled today. Today I feel a migrant worker,” Infantino said.

The Soccer Controversy: What Do Black Players Really Want to Learn About the Football World Cup (World Cup of Sports and Politics)?

It was not clear if the ban was caused by homosexuality or not. “Everything that happens on the pitch is a FIFA matter,” a spokesperson for Qatari organizers, Fatma Al Nuaimi, told CNN’s Becky Anderson.

Harry Kane and his teammates took a knee in support of racism before the start of the game as a commentary on the politics of sporting events.

Modern athletes, brands in themselves seem to be more open to causes in ways that challenge their sports governing officials. A global sports and political movement was sparked by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kapeolani who refused to stand for the National Anthem to protest police brutality against Black men. Insubordination from players angers some owners of the National Football League. There is a doubt about the sincerity of the sport’s anti-racism campaigns as a result of the fact that Kaepernick is no longer in the league. Donald Trump exploited a potential conflict between Black players and conservative fans in the league, as well as drag it into his culture warfare, which he used to bring about the impeachment of President Barack Obama.

The sports world has a sense that athletes are held to a higher moral standards than the government. Critics criticized pros for taking money from Saudi Arabia which had nationals involved in the September 11, 2001, hijackers. The kingdom is a recipient of a large amount of US arms sales and President Joe Biden sought more oil production in order to alleviate high gasoline prices.

The tournament will show how the world has changed. Soccer, despite the 1994 US-hosted World Cup, has struggled to make the cultural leap to become a dominant US pro sport, despite high youth participation. The tournament will highlight the hold it has on the US immigrant and diaspora communities as a vital demographic in the country.

Despite calls from purists for it to remain a safe place from politics, sport has always reflected social, cultural and religious trends. So it’s a good bet that when the footballing circus arrives stateside in 2026, some new off the field controversy will be competing with the score for attention.

Lionel Messi FrontsDefeats Argentina in the Final Round of the World Cup 2022 Tournament: A Momentous Journey Across the Tunnel

The South American side was expected to brush aside its opponent, ranked 48 places below them in the world standings, and fans had come in droves to watch Messi put on a masterclass in what he says will be his last tournament.

As Saudi Arabia celebrated its win over Argentina, Messi walked down the tunnel with a face of thunder, despite the fact that he was overshadowed by the biggest upset in World Cup history.

While most of his teammates ran past reporters, Messi was one of two players who spoke to the media.

In the grand scheme of the tournament, a loss in the opening match isn’t necessarily the end of the world – after all, Spain won the 2010 World Cup after losing its opening match of the tournament to Switzerland.

Argentina will still likely qualify for the knockout rounds if it wins both of its next games against Poland and Mexico but the defeat was felt particularly hard at home.

Thousands in blue and white shirts sang Messi’s name as they made their way to the game and continued to celebrate their hero as he graced Qatar 2022 with a penalty in the opening 10 minutes.

The Argentine players kept looking at Messi when they got the ball. If he didn’t demand the ball himself, Messi would often orchestrate the play by pointing to where he wanted the ball to go.

But despite flashes of brilliance, he couldn’t find the space in order to change the game. At the final whistle, the Argentine fans were slumped in their seats and it was the Saudi supporters chanting Messi’s name ironically.

Jubilant fans leaving the stadium took the Metro back into downtown Doha where celebrations continued, many singing until their voices started to break.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/23/football/lionel-messi-fronts-defeat-argentina-saudi-arabia-spt-intl/index.html

The Qatar Project – The first country to win the World Cup – in response to Saudi Arabia’s decision to declare a public holiday

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud subsequently ordered a national public holiday for Wednesday as the world came to terms with such an unexpected result.

The first host nation to lose in the opening game of a World Cup, and the first to be beaten in the whole tournament, was Qatar who were defeated 2-0 by Ecuador on Sunday.

As a result of the bidding process, it was faced with several obstacles. Those included a lack of existing infrastructure and the region’s intense heat in the summer, when World Cup tournaments are traditionally held.

Blatter said FIFA amended the criteria it used to select host countries in 2012 in light of concerns over the working conditions at tournament-related construction sites in Qatar.

FIFA was handed victim status by US prosecutors as they viewed football’s world governing body as having been almost hijacked by a number of corrupt individuals.

Human rights organizations have found that many migrant workers have been forced to work for long hours in hot weather and have to delay or pay their wages because they cannot leave their jobs.

The health, safety and dignity of all workers employed on the projects have remained steadfast, with significant improvements made around their rights, according to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

In recent days, Infantino said that the World Cup inQatar could be used to improve people’s lives.

Since 2010 the country has hosted hundreds of international and regional sporting events as a result of being awarded the World Cup and it is committed to “an inclusive anddiscriminatory-free” World Cup.

“Everyone is welcome in Qatar, but we are a conservative country and any public display of affection, regardless of orientation, is frowned upon. We just want people to respect our culture.

The New Crusades: Islamophobia and the Global War on Muslims (A Conversation with Khaled A. Beydoun)

Perhaps the most obvious sign that this World Cup is different to most has been the decision to stage it in November and December, rather than June and July as is the norm.

It was necessary to switch because of the extremely warm summer months in Saudi Arabia, but temperatures are expected to go up to the high 90s this week.

Originally, football fans would be able to buy beer at matches – a significant concession in a Muslim-majority country where alcohol is tightly controlled. The 11th hour was the “Bud ban”.

Time will tell what the legacy of this World Cup will be, but if the past few days, months, and years are anything to go by, it is likely to be complicated and controversial.

Editor’s Note: Khaled A. Beydoun (@khaledbeydoun) is a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit covering the World Cup in Qatar. The New Crusades: Islamophobia and the Global War on Muslims is a book written by him. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. CNN has an opinion on it.

It was a spiritual scene inside the stadium at Education City, Qatar. Moroccan fans whistled incessantly when Spain took possession of the ball, then erupted with deafening roars when their Atlas Lions reclaimed it. Only the Sea of Gibraltar separates the European powerhouse from the African underdog, but the loud cries of prayer coming from the stands confirmed that this was a new kind of battleground.

The World Cup had never been hosted in a place like this, with mosques and stadiums standing tall next to each other.

The success of the team is much more important than a joke about taking it to the colonizers. After all, by reaching the semifinals in Qatar, Morocco did what no other Arab or African nation has ever done.

They are attracted to it because of the fact that it has been fully and enthusiastically global. The new crusades found a defiant rebuttal in the unlikely stage of a football field.

I asked him if he knew that they were going to win. I had that very feeling as my plane descended into Qatar’s capital hours earlier, before rushing frantically toward the stadium to catch the remaining minutes of the second half, donning the very same Moroccan shirt that painted the stadium red and later claimed victory atop the green at its center.

It was, from start to finish, a spiritual experience. Millions of Muslim supporters from banlieues in Paris, lounges in Rabat and Living Rooms in Spain joined a prayer inside the stadium as thousands of Moroccan fans waved and whistled.

I was there to see it, and more importantly, to feel it. The two teams were prepared for penalty kicks as time ran out with something bigger than football at play.

Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou: “An oasis of history” cried out with delight in the first soccer victory he had ever seen

The Moroccan team dropped to their knees in prayer, again, in the center of a new football stage where Islam was neither fringe nor marginal, deviant nor dangerous.

Some of the most exciting football players of their generation, such as Ziyech and Hakimi, who play for the big European clubs, are still unknowns to most people. They were able to pray together because they remembered the Quran and its message that every believer is equal regardless of their station in life.

Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, or “Bono,” stopped kicks from Spain’s Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets, supported by a different “Hand of God” as Spain’s Pablo Sarabia’s strike ricocheted off the post.

Hakimi stood with his head bowed. Then raised his eyes forward, toward the goal and in the direction of history. The eyes of Muslims all around the world locked in on a single star.

The great African author Chinua Achebe famously wrote, “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” The historians who were given to Muslims by the Atlas Lions rose above the betting and Islamo-phobia to win the hearts of Muslims around the world.

“The day we won against Portugal, I met non-Moroccans waving the Moroccan flag, everybody was congratulating me,” Essaouis says. “That brought tears into my eyes, because I felt like the whole world was happy about our victory.”

African Union President Macky Sall wrote on Twitter, using capital letters to emphasise his excitement: “HISTORIC! AND FANTASTIC! The world cup semifinalists are the Atlas Lions. BRAVO MOROCCO.

As the game wound on, Morocco fans screamed “Ole, ole, ole!” In unison, drown out the small group of Portuguese fans and whistle whenever Portugal took the ball.

The man with the red and green of Morocco’s national flag and football kit, shouted “O God, o God,” as the final minutes came to a close.

One fan with his hands over his mouth, looked out over the pitch as if unable to take in the amount of the win as he stood motionless.

“The last few minutes felt like hours,” said one fan, Samir Saqri, as he joined a crowd pouring out from the cafe where they had watched the game to head downtown.

I am the last person to make such a big deal out of a sporting event. When I was a kid in the 80s, my interest in football wasn’t much of a thing. The gangly kid who was always last in class would be selected to be on the last team. I was the closest I would get to the ball when it hit me in the back of the head as I was drifting across the field. During World Cups, my friends would eagerly collect Panini Sticker Albums of the qualifying teams’ players (the international football equivalent of baseball cards); I preferred the ones about dinosaurs.

A Kenyan security guard who fell from the Lusail stadium on Saturday, December 14: A journalist dies after falling from the 8th floor

A Kenyan security guard who reportedly fell while on duty at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium has died in hospital, his family and officials have confirmed to CNN.

The worker fell from the 8th floor of the stadium while on duty, his sister said.

A medical certificate obtained by CNN shows he was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Hamad General Hospital in Doha. The document states that Njue had injuries including a head injury, facial fractures, and a fractured pelvis.

His medical records show that he had been unconscious since Saturday and that a machine was used to help him breathe. A member of his family was informed of his death on Monday.

“Qatar’s tournament organisers are investigating the circumstances leading to the fall as a matter of urgency and will provide further information pending the outcome of the investigation, ” it said in its statement.

The family of a security guard who died at work claims his employer has not explained the circumstances of his death.

“We want justice. We would like to know what happened to him. They have never sent us a picture to show where he fell from or given us any other information,” his sister Wanjiru told CNN.

In a statement to CNN, the Kenyan embassy in Qatar said it was aware of the matter and “undertaking necessary consular assistance whilst awaiting official communication from Qatar’s Supreme Committee and competent authorities.”

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/14/football/world-cup-security-guard-dies-after-fall-spt-intl/index.html

A tribute to Abdelli, the second migrant worker reported killed in the Gulf nation of Saudi Arabia during the ‘World Cup’

He came to support his family back home, but by chance his dreams came to an end today. Let us do something to honor our beloved comrade.

He is the second migrant worker reported dead since the tournament began in the Gulf nation after another was reportedly killed in an accident at a resort used by Saudi Arabia during the group stages.

In September of last year, Abdelli was in Canada and tells NPR that he feels a sense of belonging to his country.

There is a large Moroccan community in North America, and the photographer who lives in Montreal, is Essaouis. The past few weeks he has been recording the celebrations as the World Cup semifinalists, such as Morocco, are enjoying themselves.

In upsetting European powerhouses Spain, Portugal and Belgium, Morocco also defeated countries with a history of colonizing Africa. And its semifinal opponent, defending champion France, is a nation that once colonized Morocco.

More of Morocco’s estimated 5 million expatriates live in France than anywhere else. For Moroccans who opt to immigrate farther west, Montreal, where French is the official language, is an appealing destination. More than a third of Moroccans speak French, according to the International Organisation of La Francophonie.

The World Cup is Coming: Celebrating the ‘Day After’ of World Cup Twenty-Ninety-Year and Losing Football

The team’s progress has made him more positive about his home country, regardless of the outcome of the match.

“What’s happening right now is historical. He says, “We’re already winners of the World Cup because the world is behind us.”

The 24 hours that preceded the World Cup final between France and Argentina will be remembered as much as the actual game on Sunday. The article was written after interviews with multiple participants in the discussions and they were not allowed to say anything to the news media.

Traditionally billions of viewers watch the World Cup, and as they concentrate on what is happening on the pitch, the names of some of the world’s biggest companies flash behind the players on a rolling, technicolored loop – Budweiser, Visa, Coca-Cola, Qatar Airways, Adidas, McDonalds, Wanda, Vivo, Hyundai Kia.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Friday at a news conference that the organization has earned a record $7.5 billion in revenue through commercial deals tied to the 2022 World Cup, $1 billion more than what it earned from the 2018 World Cup.

Beckham’s brand is arguably as recognizable as many multinationals. Beckham has endorsements with several brands, including Adidas, the Tudor watch brand and his own whiskey brand, Haig Club. Beckham is a part of the ownership team at Inter Miami.

“I think when engaging in any form of commercial relationship, but certainly a sponsorship or an endorsement [or] an ambassadorial role, carries with it geopolitical risk,” Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at SKEMA Business School, tells CNN Sport.

Brands associated with these countries, such as Adidas or McDonald’s, have consumer bases all around the world, encompassing consumers with varying freedoms to criticize human rights issues.

ethical consumers in Western Europe or North America form a part of the split of a big global brand’s customer base. And they would have gone into the tournament knowing that,” Ben Peppi, head of sports services at JMW Solicitors, tells CNN Sport.

The globalization of Asian consumer brands led to the exodus of some sponsors after the corruption scandal involving FIFA, but it also accelerated the shift away from Western Europe and North America.

Some brands sponsoring the Qatar World Cup drape their logos in rainbow flags and run inclusive campaigns during Pride Month – when LGTBQ communities celebrate the freedom to be themselves – as a show of support towards LGBTQ people.

German supermarket chain Rewe ended a partnership with the German Football Association after they were punished for wearing “OneLove” wristbands that promoted inclusivity.

But aside from these examples – notably taken by national team sponsors rather than tournament sponsors – companies have remained relatively quiet during this month-long competition, one of the biggest, most lucrative events in sport.

The FIFA World Cup is one of the most valuable pieces of intellectual property within sport, if not the most valuable and it is tightly controlled and governed.

Four sponsors of the Olympics expressed their desire to provide financial assistance to migrant workers and their families in the event of death, injury, wage theft or debt from illegal recruitment.

CNN has reached out to McDonald’s, Hyundai, Visa, Budweiser, Qatar Airways, Wanda and Vivo for comment as to how they balance these sponsorship campaigns in relation to the discussion of human rights’ issues surrounding Qatar 2022, but at the time of publication had not yet received a response.

The Coca-Cola Company said in a statement to CNN that it plays an important role in the creation of the first such entity created by a global sports governing body.

The World Cup Marketing Campaign: David Beckham’s legacy and the success of his association with the U.S. Soccer World Cup 2022

David Beckham, former England captain, is an ambassador for the country. English comedian Joe Lycett challenged the assumption that former England captain Beckham was an ally of the queer community last month, but Beckham continued his association with the World Cup.

“He’s trying to market himself to decision makers and financiers who are involved in elite professional sport around the world. What he’s interested in is making sure that his [Inter Miami] franchise in the United States is financially sustainable.”

David Beckham is a player and an ambassador for the sport and he believes that it has the power to make a difference in the world.

McDonald’s produced a range of clothing for Pride, as well as Pride cups, and Adidas produced a range of clothing for the event. Not just during Pride Month, but 365 days a year.”

Adidas supports unrestricted access for all visitors as long as they are not minorities, religion, sexual orientation or ethnic background. We expect that the World Cup will be accessible to all visitors. If there are any infringements, we are pursuing the matter.”

The story of the World Cup has attracted a record-breaking television audience, in part, due to the storylines that unfolded on the pitch, from Saudi Arabia’s shock victory over Argentina and Messi’s quest for a World Cup trophy to Morocco’s historic run to the semifinals.

Meanwhile, McDonald’s launched its “largest global marketing campaign ever,” to coincide with the 2022 World Cup, its Global Chief Marketing Officer said in a statement.

The World Cup was backed by a full quota of Partners, Sponsors and Regional Supporters on the day it began, after the tournament had sold out all sponsorship tiers.

A Human Rights Report on “Epidem”: Monitoring the Treatment of Migrant Workers in Qatar’s Football Stadium and Hotel Construction

Rather, rights groups that fought to shed light on the treatment of migrant workers, who transformed Doha into a place that could only be imagined a dozen years ago.

“I’ve had so many experiences where, y’know you turn on Google maps to try to work out where you’re going in a car [in Doha], and it turns out Google maps has no idea how to get there,” said Mustafa Qadri of the human rights charity Equidem, “because the roads have changed. Everything has so rapidly changed.”

For the last dozen years, Qadri has spent considerable amounts of time in Qatar, working to help those whose work created that change. Equidem used the workers themselves in doing their research.

“All that research is carried out by migrant workers from Africa and Asia,” he said, “and they’re our team. They are not people that we bring in as volunteers. They’re actually professional staff. And that’s a really big part of what we’re trying to do, which is to give a voice to these people who don’t have a voice. Facing serious exploitation, give them power and ownership by being part of our team.

He says employing migrant laborers in this capacity allowed Equidem to interview more than 2,000 workers who built the stadiums and worked on the hotels at the heart of the World Cup.

There were many problems, including workers not being paid and not reporting unsafe or unfair working conditions, for fear of losing their jobs, uncovered in those interviews. And Qadri says, some described employer attempts to cover things up by hiding the workers from labor inspectors.

“For example [at job sites], they would use the fire alarm, to make workers [gather] at their [gathering] points,” Qadri said, “and bus them out of the stadium construction sites before the inspectors could come and visit them.”

The Story of Migrant Workers in the Light of World Cup 2014: Calling on FIFA, FIFA, and the Quatari Regime

Throughout the World Cup, some of the stories emerged as migrant worker issues battled to hold their own against the glut of news about a thrilling tournament.

Qari offers to share the worker interviews with his research team and he makes three requests. that FIFA, which reportedly will take in revenues of $7.5 billion for the Qatar World Cup, commits to creating a compensation fund for migrant workers, and the families of workers killed, injured or otherwise abused “in the delivery of this World Cup.” 2). That FIFA uses its influence to help create a Migrant Workers Center in Qatar, which Qadri says would be a “safe space, run by workers, where they can get the help they need.” And 3). That FIFA works “with Qatar and expert agencies around the world to break down the systems that allowed a celebration of sport to bear such a terrible impact on the lives of so many vulnerable people.”

The World Cup ended and the show is over with people worried that things might get worse.

Powar said that there has been a lot of fear, that theQatari regime might bring back measures that will restrict the activities of the community. The role of the squad within the interior ministry seems to be to identify any members of the gay community in the area and to operate sting operations to bring them into custody.

There were reports that security officials asked people to remove their rainbow colored clothing because it was a symbol of pride in the queer community during the tournament.

“They understand the dangers of moving too quickly and they don’t always have an answer when they are asked where to go,” Powar said. But they’re very clear that they don’t think it’s the waving of the rainbow flag.

“But nevertheless, people are very clear. They’re very smart. They are done with these positions. And in the end, I think it comes back to the same point – that they acknowledge that they’re repressed and they want freedom.”

“A big sporting event like these create memories,” Powar says, “positive memories. The impact will be fleeting, and one can achieve little through it. I think we’re always fighting a sort of rear guard battle to make sure that the considerations on human rights, on diversity, equality, equality between people, they’re always going to be secondary to an event like this, I’m afraid.”

If the event is deemed a success, and early grades are good on the soccer, logistics and fan engagement, then there’s the possibility the country puts itself in position to host future sporting spectacles. If this does happen, Qadri says the standards for host may be different, because of the scandals that occurred with soccer.

“There are so many issues in any part of the world,” Qadri said, “but the societies that generally have been successful have been ones that have recognized that greater rights and freedoms, greater diversity and celebrating that actually leads to a more robust society, a stronger society, one that can withstand the tensions and the pressures much better.

The main difference is the stability of the government. There are no elections there [for the highest ruling positions]. They can think about it. They have the capacity to plan for longer term. And the other thing is thatcietal change would make qatar stand out from the crowd.

It’s a journey, he says, but one worth taking. As people stop staring at the tiny Gulf nation that became huge in less than one month, Qadra, Powar and others will keep fighting. Hopefully the event that claimed to unite the world can start changing the world of the host country.

World Cup 2010: “It’s the best World Cup ever,” FIFA’s Gianni Infantino told the Qatar National Convention Centre

DOHA, Qatar — At the start of every World Cup tournament, the FIFA president usually says something like, “this will be the best World Cup ever.” True to form, FIFA’s leader, Gianni Infantino, said exactly that during his pre-tournament briefing at the Qatar National Convention Centre last month.

But the competition on the field was stellar. This World Cup is arguably the best ever because of the surprises, shocks, and upsets that have happened.

Lionel Messi was able to capture the one trophy he had not been able to win, after Argentina’s exciting win over the defending champion in a penalty shoot out.

Controversies stuck to this World Cup from the moment, in 2010, when then-FIFA president Sepp Blatter opened an envelope and announced the voting result for the 2022 tournament.

The World Cup takes place during the summer in the Persian Gulf nation. Infrastructure and facilities are not present. The government was a conservative one.

The concern about a conservative autocracy “welcoming” more than a million visitors, many from liberal western countries, never was resolved and was a flashpoint for the controversies that created the biggest stir.

The question of whether host country decisions trump the World Cup was raised by the reversal. FIFA, says Powar, had a more liberal stance on the rainbow colors issue, but Qatar prevailed.

“We are defending human rights,” Infantino said, without explaining how that statement squared with the controversies that stuck to what he called, the best World Cup ever.

The Last Cup: What Happened to Messi in the Soccer World Cup? Why did Spain, Italy, and Portugal all lose? What happened at the Mohammed VI Football Academy?

The biggest surprise of the tournament, arguably, came on the third day in group play. One of the greatest World Cup upsets happened when Saudi Arabia beat Argentina. Messi is one of the finest to ever play the game – but one trophy had eluded him: a World Cup title. (If you missed it, please listen to the NPR Podcast Last Cup which chronicles Messi’s life to get to this point.) But the opening loss to Saudi Arabia ended up being just a speed bump. Argentina gelled to win the group, zip through the knockout rounds and win the final.

Another surprise came in the middle of the tournament – before a game. Portugal coach Fernando Santos shocked the sporting world when he didn’t put star Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting lineup for the last two Portugal matches. The 37 year old was not his usual dominant self at the World Cup.

The United States makes this list too. The U.S. made it to the knockout round of the World Cup after not winning a game in group play. But it would be another early exit with a round of 16 loss to the Netherlands.

Many soccer and football fans were shocked by the early exits of European powerhouses. Belgium didn’t get out of group play. Italy didn’t even make the tournament and Portugal, Spain, and Germany all bowed out. The tournament’s biggest surprise is covered just below.

The Mohammed VI Football Academy was opened thirteen years ago. It was a multi-million dollar investment that appears to have paid off in Qatar.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/19/1143835164/2022-world-cup-qatar

World Cup Referees Fail: The U.S. Player was Born in a World Cup Final, and Three Journalists Died During it

The plates were shifting beneath the sport’s world order as a result of what happened at this tournament.

This team is positioned to prove that there was no one off. Soccer outsiders are bound to be inspired by the 48 teams that will compete in the next World Cup. To think and plan, to get inside isn’t hard.

There’s always grumbling about referees — calls they made or didn’t — “no way was that offside,” to “that wasn’t a foul,” and, of course, “he just flopped.” But at this World Cup referees made news for another reason. For the first time ever, women officials were used at the men’s tournament. Six women – including Kathryn Nesbitt of the U.S. — officiated both on and off the field. The Germany/Costa Rica match was attended by an all-female crew.

It may be the last World Cup we see Messi wearing an Argentina uniform or Ronaldo donning one for Portugal or Luka Modrić sporting the red and white checkerboard for Croatia. For decades they have shined for their countries at tournaments, giving many fans joy and sometimes pain.

Three journalists who were working at this World Cup died while covering it. American sportswriter Grant Wahl — perhaps the preeminent U.S. soccer reporter — collapsed during the Argentina-Netherlands quarterfinal. An autopsy found he died from a burst blood vessel. ITV sports director Roger Pearce “passed away suddenly” last month and Qatari photojournalist with Al Kass TV, Khalid al-Misslam, “died suddenly” earlier this month.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/19/1143835164/2022-world-cup-qatar

What is Happening at a World Cup in Qatar – Celebrating a Moroccan Wedding in a Lively Community of Folks in Qatar

The US will join Mexico and Canada in staging the next World Cup. As mentioned earlier, FIFA is expanding the number of teams from 32 to 48. It’s not clear what the format used to advance will be.

One thing is clear – it will be hard to top the 2022 tournament. We think that the next World Cup will be the best ever.

Russia made it illegal for anyone to promote same-sex relationships during the World Cup that was held there last year.

The tiny Gulf State has become a global village over the last four weeks. Fans of all 32 teams, along with supporters from many other countries, mingled cheek by jowl in a way that was never possible in previous tournaments, which were spread across much larger geographical areas.

Sometimes it was hard to tell who was cheering for who as processions of cheering fans would follow drummers through Souq Waqif, a marketplace in downtown Doha, drunk only on the joy of the shared experience.

“The atmosphere here in Qatar is like a Moroccan wedding,” one supporter told CNN in the thick of the festivities. “When everyone is enjoying the music and singing, it’s like a big party.”

World Cup 2005: Qatar’s Most Successful World Cup: Australia vs. South Korea, and Morocco’s Tom Walid

Even before the Atlas Lions upset Portugal, it was already Africa’s most successful World Cup, as it was for Asia, which saw three teams make it to the Round of 16 for the first time ever. In 2005, the Australian Football Federation was accepted by the Asian Football Confederation.

Saudi Arabia scored a result for the ages, beating Argentina in its opening match, while Iran managed to shine, despite the protests and violence in their homeland with admirable performances against Wales and the US.

He said, “if you do your work, you can achieve big, big things.” That is what the Morocco head coach says. Walid is trying to prove something. That is what Casablanca is trying to prove.

The only people who will show support for France’s team are the French. Adam Marzoug, a fan from Morocco, explained that he did not know why.

It is special for the Arab and Muslim and African countries. That’s what makes us strong in every tournament, this is just the beginning.”

Muslims, Arabs and Africans love each other and they are all happy for each other, like they would be if they had their own nation, according to his friend.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/20/football/qatar-world-cup-review-spt-int/index.html

The stadia of Qatar and the alcoholism of the world: qatar world cup as a cultural phenomenon in Morocco

And although there was surprise, even an outcry in some media establishments, when Budweiser vending stations were removed from the stadium concourses on the eve of the tournament, did anyone really miss the alcohol?

Ally McCoist, former player turned broadcaster, agreed that the atmosphere in the crowd was friendlier because of it.

We watched security personnel in the stadia respectfully asking shirtless Argentina fans to cover up, humbly gesturing with their palms closed by their chest. Local customs were followed and cultures exchanged. The sea of humanity went from the stadium to the metro station in a group of people.

“We must be open minded,” said another Moroccan fan, David Hamriri, an engineer who currently works in Europe. “I am very rich, culturally, because I am open minded.

We have a lot of conflicts in the world. But when we enjoy football, we forget about the problem. We forget the economic crisis, and we return to the origin. A value of being is shared between the two societies. I find it amazing.”

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/20/football/qatar-world-cup-review-spt-int/index.html

How gracious is the Ogden crowd? An England fan’s reaction to the news of a bad experience at the T20 Under-21 tournament

England fan Theo Ogden, who attended all of the tournament’s 64 games, told CNN: “People said that you couldn’t host it in the desert, and they proved them wrong.

“They’ve been so welcoming. You won’t find a fan out here who will say that they had a bad time, and it’s because they are so hospitable. I don’t think that gets spoken about enough.”