Ending on December 18th, like a double-edged sword, the 2022 Qatar World Cup brought satisfaction and happiness to passionate football fans, meanwhile, controversies and waves of anger to the world. “This is the most controversial World Cup in history,” commented Gary Lineker, plainly and accurately, in his opening monologue to the camera, marking the start of the 22nd FIFA World Cup [1]. What makes this most expensive tournament the most controversial one?
Corruption Scandals
Is Qatar a suitable spot for hosting such a mega tournament?
Lying on the peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf, Qatar, a Middle Eastern, desert country, only has an area of 4,473 Square Miles which is much smaller than the area of Brazil and Russia, the recent previous World Cup host countries [2]. Its climate is hot and dry with its peak temperature higher than 40 degrees Celsius in the summer, meaning that maintenance of football grass can be troublesome. In addition, before acquiring the rights of holding the 2022 FIFA world cup, there was only one adequate Football stadium in Qatar-- the Khalifa International Stadium constructed in 1976, and the minimum requirement for the hosting country is to have 8 standard stadiums. All these factors made Qatar unable to win over its competitors—the United States, Australia, Japan, and Korea [3].
Miraculously and surprisingly, Qatar won!
After being awarded the hosting rights, the legitimacy of the FIFA bidding process has been questioned, and this final decision, which also includes the awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia, has been accused of widespread corruption, with two investigations launched by Swiss prosecutors and the US Department of Justice in 2015 [4]. Although Russia and Qatar stated their innocence and were successfully cleared of any wrongdoings by a FIFA 2017 investigation, details about bribery to five top-level FIFA board members by the Russian and Qatari representatives before the vote which leads to Russia and Qatar’s obtaining of hosting rights have been revealed and claimed by the US prosecutors [4].
This ugly act ruined fans’ trust in FIFA and destroyed this most popular sport, placing Qatar in an awkward position.
Poor Working Conditions for Migrant Workers
Qatar’s human rights issue is controversial.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has spent billions of dollars constructing stadiums, infrastructures, and hotels, creating millions of job opportunities, and attracting migrant workers.
However, is Qatar a haven for these migrants or a horrific hell?
Since being awarded the hosting rights, Qatar has been criticized for its abuse of labor. News about the poor working environment, low wages, and the deaths of migrant workers has been reported. The official death toll counts at 40 while the Guardian estimates a total of thousands died of migrant workers [5]. All this can be mainly attributed to the Kafala system, a sponsorship system that is widely used by countries including Qatar and defines the relationship between foreign workers and their local sponsor, usually their employer [6]. This system usually falls under the jurisdiction of interior ministries, rather than labor ministries, making migrant workers unable to be protected under the host country’s labor law and vulnerable to exploitation [6]. Furthermore, it is sponsors that can renew or terminate these migrant workers’ residency visas which are linked to their employment, meaning that imbalanced huge powers have been granted to private employers to easily exploit these poor workers [6].
Alcohol Policy
Alcohol and football go hand in hand. It creates a sense of excitement and adjusts the mood and without which, the games become much more tedious. Unfortunately, fans are going to be disappointed—sales of beer are banned in the 8 stadiums of the 2022 Qatar world cup though it is still permitted at fans' events in licensed venues, as well as in-stadium luxury suites that also serve liquor, wine, and custom World Cup 2022 champagne [7]. The reason behind it traces back to the religion of Qatar, Islam. Qatar follows a conservative version of Islam known as Wahhabism which restricts the purchase and consumption of alcohol, the “work of Satan” described by the Quran, though its sale has been permitted in hotel bars for years [8].
To win the hosting rights in 2010, Qatar initially agreed to allow beer sales in the stadium and, it then reconfirmed that commitment when signing the contracts [7].
But that’s not where the story ends.
Two days before the opening, FIFA and Qatar reversed the policy, banning the sales of alcohol in the stadium, making fans have to trek away to make the purchase [7].
It was hard for the despondent fans to swallow.
In short, Qatar’s corruption scandals, the exploitation of migrant workers, and the ban on the sale of alcohol make the 2022 Qatar world cup the most controversial world cup in history.
Reference
“This Is the Most Controversial World Cup in History“- a Review of Qatar 2022 so Far.” Mancunion.com, 2 Dec. 2022, mancunion.com/2022/12/02/this-is-the-most-controversial-world-cup-in-history-a-review-of-qatar-2022-so-far/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2023.
“Qatar Facts and Culture.” Www.countryreports.org, www.countryreports.org/country/Qatar/facts.htm. Accessed 8 Feb. 2023.
Fittipaldi, Frank. “World Cup 2022: Qatar Wins Rights to Host Tournament.” Bleacher Report, 3 Dec. 2010, bleacherreport.com/articles/532663-world-cup-2022-qatar-wins-rights-to-host-tournament.
Dunseath, Finlay. “Qatar FIFA World Cup Controversy: What You Need to Know.” RNZ, 12 Dec. 2022, www.rnz.co.nz/news/what-you-need-to-know/480588/qatar-fifa-world-cup-controversy-what-you-need-to-know.
“How Many Migrant Workers Have Died in Qatar? What We Know about the Human Cost of the 2022 World Cup.” The Guardian, 27 Nov. 2022, www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/27/qatar-deaths-how-many-migrant-workers-died-world-cup-number-toll.
Robinson, Kali. “What Is the Kafala System?” Council on Foreign Relations, 18 Nov. 2022, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-kafala-system#chapter-title-0-5.
Lewis, Russell, and Emily Olson. “FIFA Bans Beer Sales at Qatar’s World Cup Stadiums in a Last-Minute Reversal.” NPR, 18 Nov. 2022, www.npr.org/2022/11/18/1137612672/beer-ban-world-cup-qatar-fifa.
Fam, Mariam. “EXPLAINER: Islam’s Ban on Alcohol and How It’s Applied.” AP NEWS, 20 Nov. 2022, apnews.com/article/world-cup-soccer-sports-travel-5da7449cd9f8f7054bf38cf09436854f.