As part of FIFA’s award to the Middle Eastern country in 2010, the tournament will be held during the summer, when temperatures are higher than 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). According to FIFA’s 2015 recommendation, Qatar should host a shorter World Cup during November and December, an action that was set to put soccer’s world governing body at odds with European leagues. This will be the first time the World Cup has been held in the northern hemisphere winter rather than in the summer when Europe’s lucrative domestic leagues have ended.
Corruption
A statement from the Organizing Committee for the 2022 World Cup strongly denied allegations from the Justice Department that bribes were paid to secure votes for the tournament 12 years ago. Prosecutors laid direct, formal allegations regarding both the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in a 2020 indictment. Both tournaments have long been surrounded by suspicion and rumor. Despite the charges, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which oversees the building of the necessary infrastructure and the planning and operations of the hosting country, has rejected them. Nasser Al Khater, the CEO of Qatar 2022, told reporters that the Middle Eastern country had been unfairly treated and scrutinized for many years.
Migrant workers
Migrant workers, along with other foreigners, make up the bulk of Qatar’s population, and they have been heavily criticized by human rights groups. Despite 2014 labour reforms, practices like withholding salaries and charging workers to change jobs remain rampant, according to a 48-page report published by Amnesty International. As many migrant workers as possible are being trapped and exploited, the Qatari government insisted that its labour system remains a work in progress. According to Amnesty International and other rights groups, FIFA must set aside $440 million as compensation for human rights violations in Qatar, matching World Cup prize money. FIFA has been urged to improve the rights of migrant workers in Qatar by the Football Associations of 10 European nations, including England and Germany. To prevent the sport from being tainted by ideological or political conflicts, FIFA has written to World Cup teams.
Women, Children and LGBTQI+ rights
As a conservative Muslim country, Qatar has a prohibition on homosexuality, and some soccer players have expressed concerns about the safety of fans travelling for the event, particularly lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and women who will be subjected to discrimination under Qatari laws. Even so, World Cup organisers have repeatedly stated that all are welcome during the tournament, regardless of sexual orientation or background. A former Qatari international and World Cup ambassador, Khalid Salman, told German broadcaster ZDF just days before the finals that homosexuality is “damage to the mind.” He added that the country expects more than one million visitors for the World Cup and anyone coming to Qatar for the tournament should “accept our rules here”.