In 2010 the decision was made to hand the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and while it was met by celebrations in Doha it has also sparked a lot of criticism.
FIFA officials who voted for Qatar to host faced allegations of bribery and corruption and there has been a large concern over the human rights abuses that remain prominent.
Of the 22-man panel that gave the World Cup to Qatar 16 have been accused, banned or indicted over allegations of corruption or wrongdoing.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Europe’s criticism of the Qatar World Cup. pic.twitter.com/7LkOXAKcAv
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 19, 2022
The former head of FIFA himself, Sepp Blatter has since admitted it was a mistake to send the World Cup to Qatar.
As well as being the smallest nation to ever host the World Cup, there are some other reasons as to why it was an error.
With a lack of stadiums in the country, Qatar turned to their huge population of migrant workers, who had to work in poor and dangerous conditions.
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There are also concerns over the human rights abuses, homosexuality in Qatar is criminalized, with sex between men punishable by up to seven years in prison.
While the Qatari embassy have revealed everybody will be welcome, they still expect visitors to appreciate and respect their culture.
🚨BREAKING🚨
— Park Life Sport (@ParkLife_Sport) November 21, 2022
England have decided that captain Harry Kane will NOT be wearing the ‘OneLove’ that aims to support the LGBTQ+ community🏳️🌈
It was revealed yesterday that Kane could have faced a yellow card punishment as a result of wearing the armband🟡
A further issue is that it is the first World Cup to take place in the Winter, causing issues for players due to the tight scheduling, the likes of Sadio Mane and French duo Karim Benzema and Christopher Nkunku are out of the tournament due to injury.
Matt Debono, Sports Journalist and Absolute Chelsea owner, has questioned whether the World Cup has the same appeal this year, saying: “You’ve seen a lot of injuries to players prior to the tournament and during their camps ahead of the openers this month.
“Many may gradually be more enticed to watch it, but it definitely is not the kind of World Cup we are used to.”
