Al Khor, Qatar — Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman extended one yellow-gloved hand to a FIFA World Cup ambassador suffering from a rare spinal disorder in an image meant to represent inclusion in a country facing international criticism over its human rights record.
It wasn’t the biggest moment of Sunday’s seven-act World Cup opening ceremony ahead of the match between host country Qatar and Ecuador, which Ecuador won 2-0. The largest cheers were reserved for the Mideast and African leaders watching from their luxury suites in Bedouin-tent inspired Al Bayt Stadium.
In fact, it was Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who drew a thunderous applause in a short speech delivered in Arabic from the suite. He was seated between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who secured the World Cup for the tiny gulf nation 12 years ago.
Fireworks explode during the opening ceremony prior to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Nov. 20, 2022.
Getty Images
“How beautiful it is for people to put aside what divides them in order to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together at the same time,” Sheikh Tamim said, his words translated into English on a video screen inside the stadium.
“I wish all the participating teams a magnificent football performance, high sportsmanship, and a time full of joy, excitement and delight for you all,” he continued. “And let there be days that are inspiring with goodness and hope.”
He then said, “I welcome you and good luck to all,” in his only words spoken in English.
Sheikh Hamad, viewed as the modernizer of Qatar during his 18 years as ruler, further delighted the crowd by autographing an official World Cup shirt handed to him by his son. He then held the shirt up to the crowd.
Qatar, home to 3 million people, most of them migrant workers, has spent more than $200 billion on preparation for the World Cup. Seven new stadiums were built, including the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium north of Doha.
The opening ceremony was meant to introduce Qatar to the world through its culture with a theme of “bridging distances.” Creative director Ahmad Al Baker wanted the ceremony to signify “a gathering for all mankind, an invitation to come together as one, bridging all differences with humanity, respect and inclusion.”
It hit the mark when Sheikh Tamim was joined in the stadium suite by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, two leaders who had boycotted Qatar for years. Not present were the leaders of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the two other nations involved in the boycott.
There were no major Western leaders in attendance, as Qatar is under intense scrutiny for its treatment of the migrant workers who prepped the nation for the World Cup, as well as the LGBTQ community. Gay and lesbian sex is criminalized in Qatar.
But among those who did attend the opening match were U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
Kuwait’s crown prince came, along with the director-general of the World Health Organization and Djibouti’s president. Also present was Jordan’s King Abdullah II.
They listened as BTS’ Jung Kook, while Qatari singer and producer Fahad Al Kubaisi debuted the single “Dreamers,” produced specifically for the World Cup.
Then came remarks from Infantino, who spoke in Arabic, Spanish and finally English to officially open the tournament.
“Dear friends, welcome, welcome, to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” Infantino said in English. “Welcome to celebrate football because football unites the world. And now let’s welcome the teams and let the show begin.”
As “The Business” by Tiesto blasted over the speakers, Qatar and Ecuador took to the field and the World Cup officially began.
For the past year, a giant clock in Doha has been counting down to the opening match of the World Cup. Qatar and the world need wait no more, after this controversial tournament got underway Sunday with the host losing 2-0 to Ecuador.
After a spectacular opening ceremony, which starred the likes of Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman and BTS star Jung Kook, the sport itself finally took center stage after being overshadowed by off-the-pitch matters during the build-up.
It wasn’t the result that many in Qatar would have hoped for. The host looked nervous and struggled against an opposition possessing experience and quality. In truth, the game was all but over at halftime, with Ecuador comfortably 2-0 up thanks to two goals by Enner Valencia.
All the excitement pre-match slowly drained away from the stadium in the second half and there were noticeably more empty seats as some fans seemed to have had enough.
The nearer we got to Sunday’s kickoff in Doha, the more excited fans in this city became. A magnificent firework display lit up the sky on Saturday night and social media exploded with Qataris making their enthusiasm known about hosting one of sport’s biggest events.
Over the last few days, fans from around the world have gathered in squares in downtown Doha to sing, chant and wave their national flags, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
That festival spirit continued on match day, from the city center to the newly-built Al Bayt Stadium, which hosted the opening match of this historic World Cup, the first to be held in the Middle East.
At times, it has felt like any other major international tournament, but the build-up to this event has, of course, been unlike any other.
Corruption scandals plagued FIFA, world football’s governing body, after it awarded Qatar the tournament in 2010 – though Qatari officials have previously “strongly denied” to CNN the allegations of bribery which has surrounded its bid.
For over a decade, and increasingly so as kickoff neared, the pre-tournament build-up has focused on the country’s human rights record, from the death of migrant workers and the conditions many have endured in Qatar, as well as its LGBTQ laws and the role of women in its society. The country’s last-minute ban of alcohol in World Cup stadiums also made headlines around the world.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s remarkable press conference on the eve of the opening game demonstrated just how little on-field issues have featured so far.
The FIFA boss addressed hundreds of journalists in Doha, Saturday, and started the news conference with a near hour-long speech, during which he accused Western critics of hypocrisy and racism.
Those involved in the tournament have faced much criticism. Colombian singer Maluma, who features in the official World Cup anthem, walked out of an interview on Israeli television when he was questioned about the Gulf state’s human rights record.
The opening ceremony itself focused heavily on unity, with performances giving a nod to all the countries playing in this year’s tournament.
While the pre-match attention was inevitably on the host nation, Qatar’s opponents also had a story to tell as its place in the tournament was only confirmed weeks ago after it was involved in a legal dispute with rivals Chile.
It centered around the eligibility of Bryon Castillo who, rivals argued, was ineligible to represent Ecuador over claims he was born in Colombia. The case was referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who deemed Castillo eligible but, despite this, he was not included in his nation’s World Cup squad for Qatar 2022. On Sunday’s showing, it doesn’t look like the team miss Castillo.
Minutes after the game started, the noisy Ecuadorian fans were celebrating after it appeared their side had taken the lead. Valencia headed in from close range but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) deemed Valencia was offside and disallowed the goal.
But just minutes later, the yellow shirts were celebrating again as Valencia put his side ahead from the penalty spot. Goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb had fouled the forward as he attempted to skip beyond him.
The captain doubled his tally before the first half finished, directing a bullet header into the bottom corner as Qatar looked short of confidence and belief.
Now that the action is underway, organizers will hope attention will move away from human rights and other off-field issues. But, in truth, this tournament’s legacy will not be determined on the pitch. Instead, it will be decided by real change and the improvement of the lives of the people who helped make it happen.
DOHA, QATAR—Unveiling several policies for the upcoming international soccer tournament, the nation of Qatar announced Sunday that its World Cup stadiums would cut off human sales after the 75th minute of each soccer match. “We want fans to enjoy themselves, but we also want to provide a safe environment, so get your human purchases in early,” said Qatar’s World Cup ambassador, Khalid Salman, ending speculation over whether the host country might completely ban the sale of human beings at its eight tournament stadiums. “We’re pleased to offer a wide selection of people—we’ve got Indians, Nepalese, Bangladeshis, and many more to choose from. We simply ask that you plan ahead so that, after the game, we can ensure spectators are able to exit the stadium in an orderly fashion and get home safely with their purchases. We’re also limiting sales to two humans per purchase, but don’t worry—you can come back as many times as you like. Whether you’re buying your person for forced labor or prostitution, we just ask that you do it in moderation.” Qatari officials added that there would also be a strict no-tolerance policy against fans bringing their own slaves into the game.
Qatar is decked up to host the opening ceremony of the Fifa World Cup 2022 in a few hours. However, fans have started uploading footage of the hellish conditions in fan villages – a makeshift arrangement to accommodate lakhs of football spectators who have gathered in Qatar.
The fan villages have cabin-style and casual camping and caravan accommodation. They are located in and around the outskirts of Doha and include a variety of on-site facilities as well as a number of food and beverage outlets with a variety of offerings.
While the first match is just hours ago, the fan villages still look like construction sites.
Thousands of England and Wales World Cup fans will be staying at the Rawdat Al Jahhaniya fan village, but footage and pictures have shown piles of debris, torn-up grass, and industrial equipment still present on the scene.
After arriving at a fan park close to Lusail Stadium, some FIFA World Cup visitors had to walk for an hour to find drinking water.
BBC’s Rhia Chohan said that guests slowly checking into a fan village near Lusail Stadium find they can’t buy drinking water without a wristband.
“It’s 30 degrees. Nearest shop an hour walk. No one knows where the wristbands are. We’re told the festival is meant to kick off at 6.30 pm,” she said.
The Guardian reported that promised amenities like a fitness center, theater, and tennis court are also missing.
Small air conditioners inside the cabins can’t cool the area during the day and are too noisy at night to be useful.
One fan who is a writer posted, “You’d think after China and Russia they’d have learned not to hold major sporting events in dictatorships but hey, that’s FIFA for you! Qatari officials are threatening to smash cameras of fans filming the harsh conditions inside the World Cup Fan Village.”
You’d think after China and Russia they’d have learned not to hold major sporting events in dictatorships but hey, that’s FIFA for you!
Qatari officials are threatening to smash cameras of fans filming the harsh conditions inside the World Cup Fan Villagehttps://t.co/KrmEWRJCDn
“This is what £185 [$330AUD] a night gets you in the Qatar World Cup fan village. Good luck getting any rest. The noise of the air conditioner [that doesn’t keep the container cool during the day] helps drown out the rest of the racket,” another fan posted.
There have been 21 editions of the men’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1930 but Qatar 2022 is set to be a tournament like no other.
Since it was announced as the host city almost 12 years ago, it was always destined to be a World Cup of firsts.
From extreme weather to tournament debuts, CNN takes a look at the ways this year’s competition will be breaking new ground.
This will be the first time the Qatari men’s national team will participate in a World Cup finals, having failed to qualify through usual means in the past.
FIFA, the sport’s governing body, permits a host nation to take part in a World Cup without having to go through the qualifying rounds, which means the small Gulf state can now test itself against the best in world soccer.
Qatar is relatively new to the sport, having played its first official match in 1970, but the country has fallen in love with the beautiful game and the national team has steadily improved.
In 2004, The Aspire Academy was founded in the hope of finding and developing all of Qatar’s most talented sportspeople.
In recent years, that has reaped rewards for its soccer team. Qatar won the Asia Cup in 2019, capping off one of the most memorable runs in the tournament’s history, conceding only one goal throughout the tournament.
Seventy percent of the squad that won the trophy came through the academy, and that number has only increased heading into the World Cup.
Coached by Spaniard Felix Sanchez, Qatar will be looking to surprise people and faces a relatively kind group, alongside Ecuador, Senegal and The Netherlands.
The World Cup has always been held in either May, June or July but Qatar 2022 will break away from such tradition – more out of necessity.
Temperatures in Qatar can reach over 40 degrees Celsius over those months so, with this in mind, the tournament was moved to a cooler time.
However, winter in Qatar is a relative term with temperatures still likely to be around 30 degrees, but organizers hope to combat the heat with multiple methods, such as high-tech cooling systems in stadiums.
The change in tournament dates has played havoc with some of the biggest domestic leagues in the world.
All of Europe’s top leagues have had to work a winter break into their schedules, meaning congested fixture lists before and after the tournament.
One of FIFA’s justifications for awarding Qatar the hosting rights was the ability to take the tournament to a new part of the world.
None of the 21 previous World Cups have been held in an Islamic country and this month’s tournament will be a chance for the region to celebrate its growing love for the game.
However, it undoubtedly raises a few problems that organizers have had to tackle. For many fans, drinking alcohol has, and will continue to be, a big part of the experience of such tournaments.
In Qatar, though, it’s illegal to be seen drunk in public, which has forced organizers to come up with inventive ways to circumnavigate the issue.
As a result, alcohol will only be served in designated fan parks around Doha and there will be separate areas for fans to sober up before and after matches.
World’s only openly gay active pro footballer is concerned for LGBTQ community ahead of Qatar 2022
04:39
– Source:
CNN
Another question mark around the tournament is how the country will be able to deal with the influx of an expected one million visitors, given it’s the smallest country to host the World Cup, with a population of just under three million.
As a result, all eight stadiums are in and around Doha, the capital city, and are all within an hour’s drive of each other.
Organizers say the travel infrastructure – including buses, metro and car hires – will be able to cope with the increased pressure.
One benefit of the small distances between venues is that fans will be able to see up to two games in one day. Should traffic be kind.
Due to its size, Qatar has also had to be smart with its accommodation. Two cruise ships, MSC Poesia and MSC World Europa, are being moored in Doha to provide some support to hotels.
Both vessels will offer the usual cruise ship experience, but fans won’t be sailing any further than the 10-minute shuttle-bus ride into the heart of Doha.
For those fans prone to a touch of sea sickness, organizers have also built three ‘Fan Villages’ which will offer a place to stay on the outskirts of the city.
These include a variety of accommodation – including caravans, portacabins and even camping experiences – and all are located within reasonable distances of the venues.
Also, for those able to afford a little more, there will be luxury yachts docked in Doha’s harbor, which can offer a place to sleep for, let’s face it, an extortionate price.
FIFA has pledged to make Qatar 2022 the first carbon neutral World Cup, as world soccer’s governing body continues its pledge to make the sport more environmentally friendly.
It, alongside Qatar, pledged to offset carbon emissions by investing in green projects and buying carbon credits – a common practice used by businesses to “cancel out” the impact of a carbon footprint.
Qatar, the world’s largest emitter per capita of carbon dioxide, has said it will keep emissions low and remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as the tournament produces by investing in projects that will capture the greenhouse gases.
For instance, it will be sowing the seeds for the largest turf farm in the world by planting 679,000 shrubs and 16,000 trees.
The plants will be laid at stadiums and elsewhere around the country and are supposed to absorb thousands of tons of carbon from the atmosphere every year.
However, critics have accused organizers of “greenwashing” the event – a term used to call out those who try to cover their damage to the environment and climate with green initiatives that are either false, misleading or overstated.
Carbon Market Watch (CMW), a nonprofit advocacy group specializing in carbon pricing, says Qatar’s calculations are grossly underestimated.
Qatar 2022 will also see female referees officiate a men’s World Cup match for the first time.
Yamashita Yoshimi, Salima Mukansanga and Stephanie Frappart have all been named among the 36 officials selected for the tournament.
They will be joined by Neuza Back, Karen Diaz Medina and American Kathryn Nesbitt, who will be traveling to the Gulf nation as assistants.
Frappart is arguably the most famous name on the list after she wrote her name into the history books in 2020 by becoming the first woman to take charge of a men’s Champions League match.
But looking to learn from her in Qatar is Rwanda’s Mukansanga, who told CNN that she was excited to embrace the challenge of refereeing at a major tournament.
“I would look at what the referees are doing, just to copy the best things they’re doing, so that one day I would be in the World Cup like this,” she said, adding that her family couldn’t wait to see her take to the pitch.
It’s not yet decided when the women will be refereeing their first match at the tournament, but there will be some new rules to enforce.
For the first time, teams will be able to use up to five substitutes and managers can now pick from a squad of 26 players, rather than the usual 23.
Qatar 2022 is set to start on November 20. You can follow CNN’s coverage of the World Cup here.
FIFA World Cup 2022: A match-fixing claim ahead of the opening match on Sunday has shaken Qatar, which is hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022. The first match is scheduled to be played between the host country and Ecuador today.
However, ahead of the clash, Amjad Taha, a strategic political affairs expert, on Thursday claimed that Qatar has bribed eight Ecuadorian players $7.4 million to lose the opener. He further said that five Qatari and Ecadour insiders have confirmed this.
“Exclusive: Qatar bribed eight Ecuadorian players $7.4 million to lose the opener(1-0 2nd half). Five Qatari and #Ecadour insiders confirmed this. We hope it’s false. We hope sharing this will affect the outcome. The world should oppose FIFA corruption,” Taha said in a tweet on November 17.
Exclusive: Qatar bribed eight Ecuadorian players $7.4 million to lose the opener(1-0 ⚽️ 2nd half). Five Qatari and #Ecadour insiders confirmed this.We hope it’s false. We hope sharing this will affect the outcome.The world should oppose FIFA corruption.@MailSport#WorldCup2022
While no one else has so far made or backed this serious allegation, Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, said that this was fake news coming from “a well-known disinformation account”.
Just a heads up if anyone sees a story about Qatar bribing Ecuador 7.4 million to lose the opening game – it started here from a well-known disinformation account who is somehow also the main source in the story @amjadt25 . It’s already got thousands of RTs though pic.twitter.com/2EjjvqEbBV
Qatar has already been facing massive criticism for its human rights violations, inhumane treatment of migrant workers constructing stadiums for sports, strict regulations – like no drinking and no revealing clothes in compliance with Islamic laws – for visitors, and inadequate facilities to accommodate lakhs of football fans.
Many fans who have landed in the country to watch Fifa have taken to social media platforms to complain about the harsh conditions in Qatar.
BBC’s Rhia Chohan in a tweet said they spent the night in a fan village near Lusail Stadium. “Guests slowly checking in to find they can’t buy drinking water without a wristband. It’s 30 degrees. Nearest shop an hour walk. No one knows where the wristbands are. We’re told the festival is meant to kick off at 6.30pm,” she said.
Israeli American writer Emily Schrader said that the Qatari officials were threatening to smash cameras of fans filming the harsh conditions inside the World Cup Fan Village. “You’d think after China and Russia they’d have learned not to hold major sporting events in dictatorships but hey, that’s FIFA for you! Qatari officials are threatening to smash cameras of fans filming the harsh conditions inside the World Cup Fan Village,” she wrote on Twitter.
The head of the world soccer governing body FIFA in a bizarre speech on Saturday blamed Europe for triggering the controversy over human rights abuses in Qatar, this year’s World Cup host.
Qatar was chosen in 2010 as the venue for the international sports event after a massive bribe scandal involving FIFA officials. It was picked despite its record of migrant worker abuse, harsh rules involving women, and police attacks on people in the LGBTQ community in the conservative Muslim nation, where homosexuality is illegal.
The British are so worried about potential problems that they have dispatched a crew of special “engagement officers” to protect fans from zealot police in Qatar.
FIFI head Gianni Infantino called out the “hypocrisy” of outraged Western nations issuing “moral” lessons, given their own past histories. He compared his own suffering to migrant workers and the LGBTQ community in Qatar, explaining he was “bullied” as a boy in Switzerland because he had red hair and freckles. Thousands of migrant workers have died in the last ten years in Qatar from the extreme heat and accidents building World Cup stadiums and related facilities.
“You want to criticize someone, come to me,” Infantino said in his hour-long lecture to the international press at the Qatar National Convention Center.
“Criticize me. Here I am. Crucify me,” Infantino said. “Don’t criticize Qatar.”
Most shockingly he appeared to characterize himself as a representative of all people oppressed in Qatar — or at least as someone with a profound understanding of what they experience in the nation.
“Today I have very strong feelings, I can tell you that,” Infantino said. “Today I feel Qatari. I feel Arab. I feel African. I feel gay. I feel disabled. I feel [like] a migrant worker.”
He added: “Of course, I am not Qatari, I am not an Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled. But I feel like it because I know what it means to be discriminated [against], to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country.”
Infantino assured members of the LGBTQ community that they would be safe — though there have been no such guarantees made by Qatari officials. In fact, Qatar’s ambassador to Britain has warned that kissing between same-sex couples would likely be problematic.
Amnesty International harshly criticized Infantino after his remarks, saying he was guilty of “brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms” and “dismissing the enormous price paid by migrant workers” to make the tournament possible.
In brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms, Gianni Infantino is dismissing the enormous price paid by migrant workers to make his flagship tournament possible – as well as @FIFAcom’s responsibility for it. https://t.co/J06HnvZVTU
Fans around the world have called for boycotts on attending or watching the event, and several teams have and will protest human rights abuses in the nation.
Critics on Twitter blasted Infantino, one of the highest paid sports administrators in the world, for presuming to identify with migrant workers and other oppressed people in Qatar.
Gianni Infantino, who earns more than $250,000 a month, says he feels ‘like a migrant worker’, in a country where migrant workers at this World Cup have been paid as little as 45p an hour, if they have been paid at all.
It is a tragedy that the major European and all American associations didn’t tell FIFA to shove this WC and held their own tournament. Money taints everyone
Also claims that because Europeans did it in the past it’s alright for Qataris to use slave labor today, which is one of the most outrageous statements I’ve ever heard
Gianni Infantino said he feels gay. That he feels like a woman. That he feels like a migrant worker. He lectured Europeans for criticizing Qatar’s human rights record and defended the host country’s last-minute decision to ban beer from World Cup stadiums.
The FIFA president delivered a one-hour tirade on the eve of the World Cup’s opening match, and then spent about 45 minutes answering questions from media about the Qatari government’s actions and a wide range of other topics.
“Today I feel Qatari,” Infantino said Saturday at the start of his first news conference of the World Cup. “Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker.”
Infantino later shot back at one reporter who noticed he left women out of his unusual declaration.
“I feel like a woman,” the FIFA president responded.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a press conference ahead of the World Cup on Nov. 19, 2022, in Doha, Qatar.
Getty Images
Qatar has faced a litany of criticism since 2010, when it was chosen by FIFA to host the biggest soccer tournament in the world.
Migrant laborers who built Qatar’s World Cup stadiums often worked long hours under harsh conditions and were subjected to discrimination, wage theft and other abuses as their employers evaded accountability, London-based rights group Equidem said in a 75-page report released this month.
“They’re like anyone else in the world,” Mustafa Qadri, founder of the Equidem organization, told CBS News this week of the migrant laborers. “You want to have a better life than your parents. You want your children to go to college to have a better life than you. So, you’re desperate for an opportunity.”
“I think hundreds of workers have died to make this World Cup possible,” Qadri added, though he admitted it’s impossible to determine a precise figure.
Infantino defended the country’s immigration policy, and praised the government for bringing in migrants to work.
“We in Europe, we close our borders and we don’t allow practically any worker from those countries, who earn obviously very low income, to work legally in our countries,” Infantino said. “If Europe would really care about the destiny of these people, these young people, then Europe could also do as Qatar did.
“But give them some work. Give them some future. Give them some hope. But this moral-lesson giving, one-sided, it is just hypocrisy.”
Qatar is governed by a hereditary emir who has absolute say over all governmental decisions and follows an ultraconservative form of Islam known as Wahhabism. In recent years, Qatar has been transformed following a natural gas boom in the 1990s, but it has faced pressure from within to stay true to its Islamic heritage and Bedouin roots.
Under heavy international scrutiny, Qatar has enacted a number of labor reforms in recent years that have been praised by Equidem and other rights groups. But advocates say abuses are still widespread and that workers have few avenues for redress.
Infantino, however, continued to hit the Qatari government’s talking points of turning criticism back onto the West.
“What we Europeans have been doing for the past 3,000 years we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before we start giving moral lessons to people,” said Infantino, who moved last year from Switzerland to live in Doha ahead of the World Cup.
In response to his comments, human rights group Amnesty International said Infantino was “brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms” by dismissing the price paid by migrant workers to make the tournament possible and FIFA’s responsibility for it.
“Demands for equality, dignity and compensation cannot be treated as some sort of culture war – they are universal human rights that FIFA has committed to respect in its own statutes,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of economic and social justice.
QATAR’S PUSHBACK:
A televised speech by Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Oct. 25 marked a turning point in the country’s approach to any criticism, claiming it had been “subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has ever faced.”
Since then, government ministers and senior World Cup organizing staff have dismissed some European criticism as racism, and calls to create a compensation fund for the families of migrant workers as a publicity stunt.
WHAT ABOUT EUROPE?
Qatar has often been criticized for laws that criminalize homosexuality, limit some freedoms for women and do not offer citizenship to migrants.
“How many gay people were prosecuted in Europe?” Infantino said, repeating previous comments that European countries had similar laws until recent generations. “Sorry, it was a process. We seem to forget.”
He reminded that in one region of Switzerland, women got the right to vote only in the 1990s.
He also chided European and North American countries who he said did not open their borders to welcome soccer-playing girls and women that FIFA and Qatar worked to help leave Afghanistan last year.
Albania was the only country that stepped up, he said.
“ONE LOVE:”
Seven of Europe’s 13 teams at the World Cup said their captains will wear an anti-discrimination armband in games in defiance of a FIFA rule, taking part in a Dutch campaign called “One Love.”
FIFA has declined to publicly comment significantly on that issue, or on the urging of European soccer federations for FIFA to support a compensation fund for the families of migrant workers.
The ripostes came Saturday.
FIFA now has its own armband designs, with more generic slogans, in partnership with various U.N. agencies. Armbands for the group games say: “FootballUnitesTheWorld,” “SaveThePlanet,” “ProtectChildren,” and “ShareTheMeal.”
At quarterfinal games, “NoDiscrimination” will be used.
Not good enough, the German soccer federation said a couple hours later, deciding to stay with the heart-shaped, multi-colored “One Love” armband logo.
FIFA also wants to create a legacy fund from its revenues tied to this year’s World Cup – and will let its critics, or anyone who wants, to contribute.
“And those who invest a certain amount will be part of a board that can decide where the money goes,” Infantino said.
Legacy funds from previous World Cups went directly to soccer in the host nation – $100 million from FIFA to South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014. Some money was spent on new vehicles for officials and even more opaque projects.
Two priorities this time for global projects are education and a “labor excellence hub” in partnership with the United Nations-backed International Labor Organization.
MEDIA JIBES:
British media reports this week noted fans wearing England shirts and cheering outside the team hotel were people from India who lived and worked in Qatar.
It followed reports of Qatar’s project to pay expenses for about 1,500 fans from the 31 visiting teams to travel to the World Cup, sing in the opening ceremony on Sunday and stay to post positive social media content about the host country.
It fed a long-standing narrative that Qatar pays people to be sports fans.
“You know what this is? This is racism. This is pure racism,” Infantino said of the criticism about the England cheer squad. “Everyone in the world had a right to cheer for whom he wants.”
Infantino spoke while knowing he will be unopposed for re-election as FIFA president in March.
“Unfortunately for some of you,” he said to reporters Saturday, “it looks like I will be here for another four years.”
What will be the effect of the World Cup on Qatar and the region, on and off the pitch?
The world’s biggest football tournament begins in Qatar under intense scrutiny.
The Gulf nation is ready for football’s biggest showcase: the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Over the next month, more than a million international fans are expected to attend the world’s biggest sporting event played in the Middle East for the first time.
Qatar has spent billions of dollars since 2010 to prepare for the tournament, building new roads, infrastructure and stadiums.
But the lead-up has put Qatar under international scrutiny like never before, especially on human rights and its treatment of migrant workers.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino criticised what he called ‘racist’ and ‘hypocritical’ media coverage ahead of the event.
So what will be the effect of the World Cup on Qatar and the region, on and off the pitch?
Presenter: Sohail Rahman
Guests:
Faisal al-Mudahka – Editor-in-Chief of Gulf Times.
Ross Griffin – Middle East Editor, International Journal of the History of Sport.
Chansiline Nanze – Sport reporter, Cameroon Radio Television.
Given the level of focus on the Qatari regime, its attitudes toward human rights, immigrant workers, the LGBTQ community — and beer — the World Cup host’s soccer team has slipped under the radar.
Qatar opens the tournament against Ecuador on Sunday, but even the buildup to that match has been overshadowed by Friday’s announcement that the sale of beer will be banned inside the stadium grounds.
The World Cup is a source of immense national pride for Qatar in its attempt to raise its profile on the global stage and drive toward modernization. But what about the team?
Qatar’s Spanish coach Felix Sanchez (L) takes part in a training session at the Aspire training site in Doha on November 19, 2022 on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football opening match between Qatar and Ecuador.
KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images
“The best thing that can happen is to focus on football, keep calm and avoid the noise and rumors,” Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said Saturday. “Obviously we don’t like it when people criticize our country. We managed to have great preparation, kept calm and that’s how we planned this.”
Qatar has never before appeared in a World Cup and faces a major challenge just to emerge from Group A, which also includes Senegal and the Netherlands. South Africa in 2010 is the only host nation to fail to get beyond the group stage, so to avoid sharing that distinction would be success in itself.
Sunday may be Qatar’s best hope for a victory against an Ecuador team that is only five places above it at No. 44 in the FIFA rankings.
Qatar’s preparation for this tournament has been going on for several years, including involvement in the 2019 Copa America and 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. But it was victory in the 2019 Asian Cup that provided evidence of the country’s potential to provide a shock over the next few weeks.
That continental title was masterminded by Sanchez, who has been in the position since 2017 and before that was in charge of the under-19 team. The 46-year-old Spaniard learned his trade at Barcelona’s famed academy and his impact has been remarkable, with the Asian Cup success his standout moment.
But the World Cup is another level entirely.
“We are aware who we are, where we are coming from and who we are facing,” Sanchez said. “We will try to give our all, try to be competitive against such talented teams. It will be a great challenge for us.
“When the statistics add up it makes them the favorite. History told us that. Having said this, we consider ourselves to be competitive and worthy of being here.”
Ecuador’s players attend a training session at Essaimer SC in Doha on November 19, 2022 on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football match between Qatar and Ecuador.
RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images
Ecuador will hope to spoil the party — and has been talked about as a potential surprise package. But the team heads to the World Cup on the back of doubts about whether it would even be allowed to compete after claims it fielded an ineligible player during qualifying.
Chile and Peru argued that defender Byron Castillo was actually Colombian and illegally played in qualifying matches. That claim was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Ecuador kept its place at the World Cup, but will be deducted three points before the start of qualifying for the 2026 competition because of the use of false information on Castillo’s birthday and birthplace in its proceedings to grant him a passport.
Castillo was then left out of coach Gustavo Alfaro’s 26-man squad for Qatar.
With so much focus away from the field for both teams, Sunday’s opener will bring the conversation back to soccer.
Soccer fans getting ready to attend the World Cup in Qatar are just learning they will not be able to drink alcohol in the stadiums. The sudden reversal surprised Budweiser, which paid $75 million to be the official beer sponsor. There are also growing concerns of media censorship. Meanwhile, human rights group estimate that hundreds of migrant workers died building the infrastructure for Qatar’s World Cup. Holly Williams reports.
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Doha, Qatar — The sale of all alcohol at the eight stadiums used for soccer’s World Cup tournament in Qatar has been banned, the sport’s international governing body FIFA said on Friday, just two days before the games begin. The organization said in a statement that the decision to ban alcohol sales came “following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA.”
The last-minute change in plans will see alcoholic drinks banned from the “FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters.”
Non-alcoholic beer will still be available for fans at the 64 matches.
Budweiser’s parent company, AB InBev, pays tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for exclusive rights to sell beer. The company’s partnership with FIFA started at the 1986 tournament.
As news of the ban broke on Friday, a post briefly appeared on Budweiser’s official Twitter account, reading: “Well, this is awkward.” The post was removed not long after.
When Qatar — a conservative Muslim nation where alcohol and homosexuality are both generally illegal — launched its bid to host the World Cup, the country agreed to respect FIFA’s commercial partners, and again when signing contracts after winning the vote in 2010.
At the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the host country was forced to change a law to allow alcohol sales in stadiums.
AB InBev’s deal with FIFA was renewed in 2011 — after Qatar was controversially picked as host — in a two-tournament package through 2022. However, the Belgium-based brewer has faced uncertainty in recent months on the exact details of where it can serve and sell beer in Qatar.
An agreement was announced in September for beer with alcohol to be sold within the stadium perimeters before and after games. Only alcohol-free Bud Zero would be sold in the stadium concourses for fans to drink in their seats in branded cups.
Last weekend, AB InBev was left surprised by a new policy insisted on by Qatari organizers to move beer stalls to less visible locations within the perimeter.
Budweiser was also to be sold in the evenings only at the official FIFA fan zone in downtown Al Bidda Park, where up to 40,000 fans can gather to watch games on giant screens. The price was confirmed as $14 for a beer.
Ab InBev did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The company will be based at an upscale hotel in the West Bay area of Doha with its own branded nightclub for the tournament.
Soccer fans will still be able to purchase Bud Zero, an alcohol-free lager that Anheuser-Busch says tastes similar to its best-selling alcoholic beverage.
One serving of Bud Zero has 0 grams of sugar and 50 calories. The beer, which is Bud’s first ever zero alcohol beer, launched in the United States two years ago, targeting a growing trend of people choosing non-alcoholic beers.
Non-alcoholic alternatives to booze have been around for a while, but the sector has been booming lately. The non-alcoholic trend started to pick up a year or two before the pandemic and has continued to grow at a rapid clip. Demand for non-alcoholic alternatives has been largely driven by younger consumers.
Qatar is a Muslim country that is considered to be very conservative, and tightly regulates alcohol sales and usage. In September, officials said ticketed fans would be able to buy alcoholic beer three hours before kickoff and for one hour after the final whistle, but not during the match.
“Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeter,” said FIFA, soccer’s governing body, in a statement Friday.
FIFA noted that the decision will have “no impact” on sales of Bud Zero.
Budweiser tweeted, “Well, this is awkward,” though the social media post was quickly deleted.
“As partners of FIFA for over three decades, we look forward to our activations of FIFA World Cup campaigns around the world to celebrate football with our consumers,” an Anheuser-Busch InBev spokesperson said in a statement. “Some of the planned stadium activations cannot move forward due to circumstances beyond our control.”
It is indeed slightly awkward for AB InBev, which is a major sponsor of the World Cup, and was planning to selling regular Bud. Just a few days ago, reports showed World Cup workers moving beer tents into less visible areas of stadiums.
AB InBev paid $75 million for the sponsorship, according to multiple reports. So, the decision throws a bit of a wrench into their marketing plans since the decision dramatically reduces its presence for thousands of fans at the World Cup. However, arguably the bigger part — its TV advertisements with football royalty Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. — won’t be affected.
“Qatar’s decision to ban all alcohol around the grounds for the upcoming FIFA World Cup just days before it begins presents an illusion that FIFA is not in control of its own tournament and risks alienating Budweiser—a key sponsor and long-term partner of the governing body,” said Conrad Wiacek, head of sport analysis at GlobalData, in an email.
The decision could have ramifications for the future, Wiacek said, noting that Budweiser’s partnership with the World Cup expires after this year’s event.
“However, Budweiser will be cautious to burn its bridges with the governing body, as the 2026 US tournament will be highly prized. Going elsewhere would open up opportunity for other alcohol brands in its wake,” he said.
It may only be about the size of Connecticut, but huge oil reserves have made the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar one of the wealthiest in the world. The riches enabled the tiny nation to pour more than $200 billion into eight state-of-the-art, air-conditioned soccer stadiums and accompanying infrastructure to host more than a million spectators for soccer’s 2022 World Cup.
But to build its World Cup legacy, Qatar has relied on an army of migrant workers, mostly from South Asia and Africa. Thousands toiled for years in temperatures up to 120 degrees, crammed into crowded, squalid residential camps near the venues they were building.
“They’re like anyone else in the world,” Mustafa Qadri, founder of the Equidem organization, which investigates labor abuses, told CBS News. “You want to have a better life than your parents. You want your children to go to college to have a better life than you. So, you’re desperate for an opportunity.”
Opportunity presented itself when Qatar’s bid with international soccer’s governing body FIFA controversially won, and the Arab nation was awarded the 2022 World Cup.
Qadri said that has made it a tournament “dependent on migrant workers, because they’re cheap. And migrant workers are cheap because they’re being exploited.”
He told CBS News that he was arrested in Qatar while researching conditions for the migrant workers there, which he said included forced labor, workers going unpaid for months at a time, and unsafe work sites — with deadly results.
“I think hundreds of workers have died to make this World Cup possible,” Qadri said, though he admits it’s impossible to determine a precise figure.
Emran Khan came from Bangladesh to find his opportunity in Qatar, but he told CBS News that he found himself working shifts of up to 48 hours straight on buildings including Lusail Stadium — where the World Cup final will be held.
A December 20, 2019 file photo shows construction underway on the Lusail Stadium, one of the 2022 World Cup stadiums, in Lusail, Qatar.
Hassan Ammar/AP
“I had no choices,” he said. “Workers had no choice. No rights.”
He told us he was paid about $350 per month — half of what he was originally promised, but if he made any complaints against the contractor who hired him, “they just say ‘go back, pack your clothes and go back’” to Bangladesh.
Budhan Pandit left his home in Nepal to build roads in Qatar. He had been sending money back to his family, before he was killed in an accident last year.
A file photo provided by the family shows Nepali national Budhan Pandit, who was killed in an accident in Qatar in 2021, where he was one of thousands of migrant laborers working to build infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Family handout
His widow Urmila told us in a video call from her home that her family received no compensation, just her husband’s body. They’ve fallen deeper into poverty, she said, and sometimes can’t afford food.
Labor and human rights groups want Qatar to set up a fund to compensate injured and unpaid workers, and the families of those who have been killed.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have demanded that FIFA and Qatar both sign up to a $440 million workers’ compensation fund.
“The legacy of this World Cup 2022 depends on whether Qatar remedies with FIFA the deaths and other abuses of migrant workers who built the tournament, carries out recent labor reforms, and protects human rights for all in Qatar — not just for visiting fans and footballers,” Human Rights Watch researcher Rothna Begum told French news agency AFP.
This month, Qatar rejected that suggestion of a compensation fund as “publicity stunt.” The country has claimed to be the a victim of a “smear campaign” based on Western arrogance and “misinformation” since it won the bid to host the championship.
Qadri said it was “really conflicting… knowing that we’re going to watch our teams that we love play, and at the same time, this is all made possible because of this incredible exploitation.”
Mustafa said it was “really conflicting… knowing that we’re going to watch our teams that we love play, and at the same time, this is all made possible because of this incredible exploitation.”
It doesn’t matter whether Brazil or Argentina or someone else lifts the trophy next month, Qatar has already won the World Cup.
Despite more than a decade of critical coverage — which at first zeroed in on the bribery and corruption embedded in the bidding process, and then highlighted Qatar’s regressive labor and human rights laws — the Gulf petro-monarchy has emerged stronger than ever after an unrivaled nation-building project.
The World Cup, which starts Sunday, has helped accelerate Qatar’s development, supercharging the construction of high-end stadiums, gleaming shopping malls, five-star hotels and a world-class airport — and enabled it to wield both geopolitical and sporting influence.
And, no matter the human rights backlash, the tournament has some of the West’s most senior politicians onside.
Emmanuel Macron on Thursday joined the chorus of politicians asking people to go easy on Qatar, saying that “sport shouldn’t be politicized.” The French president was echoing a much-criticized FIFA letter earlier this month, in which President Gianni Infantino told World Cup teams to stick to football and avoid dishing out morality lessons.
Far from being a diplomatic repellent, the controversial World Cup will instead welcome numerous senior Western officials. As first reported by POLITICO, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend the U.S. vs. Wales match on Monday. Belgium’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib will be there to support the Red Devils. Her British counterpart James Cleverly is also going to Doha.
Qatar has long been under fire for its brutal use of migrant laborers; its attitude toward LGBTQ+ rights; and potential state surveillance of fans. Externally, it was hammered by a yearslong blockade by its Gulf neighbors, led by Saudi Arabia and implicitly endorsed by then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
But Qatar has seen off both critics and enemies thanks to its diplomatic dexterity, the leverage created by its vast hydrocarbon resources — and its willingness to splash the cash.
“Qatar decided it was going to learn to drive in the fast lane of a motorway,” said Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economy at Skema Business School in Paris, of the World Cup bid. “But Qatar had the money to be able to learn to drive.”
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Some of the criticism — which continues unabated on the eve of the tournament — did hit home. And, in at least one case, sparked change.
The kafala system, a sponsorship-based employment mechanism first introduced by the British to Bahrain in the 1930s, was ended by law in Qatar in 2020. In theory, this allows workers in Qatar to change jobs without needing to obtain their employers’ permission. At the same time, Doha also legislated a minimum-wage increase to 1,000 rials per month — or around €264.
Watchdogs, however, point out that Qatar’s “toxic” labor problems — which have resulted in the abuse and death of scores of South Asian migrant workers — didn’t end with the abolition of kafala.
Men making traditional fences ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 | Francois Nel/Getty Images
“I think there’s a big persuasive argument to say that the system facilitates slavery or forced labor,” said Nicholas McGeehan, founding director of FairSquare Research and Projects, whose work has focused extensively on human rights in the Gulf.
“There are other things that help control workers,” McGeehan added. “You have severe amounts of debt, systematic passport confiscation, the absence of trade unions, the absence of civil society, and the absence of any access to justice or good health [care].”
“When you put all these things together, they’re very toxic, and they facilitate almost complete control over the migrant workforce,” McGeehan said.
Estimates vary, as the Qatari government doesn’t share official data on migrant worker deaths, but hundreds of Nepalis have died in the Gulf state of cardiac arrest, workplace accidents and suicide since 2010, according to its government statistics. Meanwhile, Doha’s new labor heat laws offer “terrible protection” from the sweltering temperatures, McGeehan said.
Still, there is some backing for Qatar’s reforms. Marc Tarabella, a Belgian socialist MEP who is vice chair of the Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula and also co-chair of the Sports Group, told POLITICO that, thanks to the World Cup, Qatar has become “a good example to follow for the other countries in the neighborhood.”
And Qatar in recent months has become increasingly belligerent about defending itself to the West, after years of taking shots on the chin.
The country’s labor minister on Monday told European Parliament lawmakers that Qatar had been subject to a “smear campaign.” The World Cup’s own top official said that criticism of Qatar was “possibly” racially motivated.
Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser al-Khelaifi, who isn’t connected to the World Cup organizing team but is European sports’ most high-profile Qatari, was more circumspect, telling POLITICO that he is “very proud” his country is hosting the World Cup and isn’t “trying to hide” in the shadows.
“Are we doing everything 100 percent right? Maybe not. Are we perfect? No. But we are correcting things,” he said. “The World Cup has done a fantastic job for Qatar: infrastructure, regulation. A lot of things changed; massive things.”
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Perhaps the only thing that can now truly disrupt Qatar’s crowning achievement is a shambolic tournament from both human rights and logistical perspectives.
That’s something detractors see as a clear possibility.
LGBTQ+ fans who will attend the tournament still run the risk of falling foul of Qatar’s prohibition on homosexuality. The assurances that human rights groups have received from FIFA, crucially unaccompanied by Qatari legislation on LGBTQ+ protections, are insufficient, said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch.
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Escalating those human rights concerns, a Qatari World Cup ambassador told German broadcaster ZDF that homosexuality was “damage in the mind,” in comments that sparked a backlash earlier this month.
Organizational questions also remain just before the tournament starts with Ecuador vs. Qatar on Sunday, with tens of thousands of fans descending on the tiny country.
Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, told POLITICO that he was concerned about the training of World Cup stewards, the police approach to supporters, and the logistics of shuttling fans to and from stadiums by bus.
While Qatar — a country where the car is king — touts the public transport developments expedited by the World Cup, only some of the stadiums are connected by the sparkling new metro system.
A last-minute U-turn on beer by the Qatari hosts, now banned in and around tournament stadiums, triggered more anxiety for human rights groups, given the previous assurances on alcohol consumption provided by Qatar.
And more than a decade after Qatar actually won the rights to host the tournament, investigations rumble on into the corruption that bedeviled the process and resulted in the FBI knocking in FIFA’s doors. French prosecutors are probing the alleged role of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy in helping Qatar win the bid, French daily Le Monde reported earlier this week. Qatar has always denied that it won the bid by nefarious means.
On the activists’ LGBTQ+ concerns, a spokesperson for FIFA said the governing body was “confident that all necessary measures will be in place for LGBTIQ+ fans and allies to enjoy the tournament in a welcoming and safe environment, just as for everyone else.”
In a statement, Qatar’s World Cup Supreme Committee said it “is committed to delivering an inclusive and discrimination-free FIFA World Cup experience that is welcoming, safe and accessible to all participants, attendees and communities in Qatar and around the world.”
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But what happens when the circus leaves town?
Qatar has shown remarkable geopolitical deftness to keep sweet the competing interests with which its fortunes are interlinked. It hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, while also sharing access with Iran to the gas field which generated its astronomical wealth.
Due to the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, “Qatar will remain extremely relevant in terms of energy dynamics, especially as gas begins to come on stream,” said Kristian Ulrichsen, fellow for the Middle East at Rice University’s Baker Institute. “I think they’ll continue to play a role in regional diplomacy, especially vis-a-vis Iran if there’s no nuclear negotiation breakthrough.” Doha was a key diplomatic player when the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, Ulrichsen added.
One of Qatar’s most successful exports, media conglomerate beIN Media Group, renowned for its international sports broadcasting arm but also the owner of Hollywood’s Miramax film studios, has been approached by various U.S. and Saudi investors interested in buying a stake in the company — as the state mulls how to position itself on the international stage once the World Cup has been and gone.
At the same time, a person familiar with the talks said U.S. investors are interested in buying a stake in PSG, which is wholly owned by Qatar Sports Investments. QSI acquired a 22 percent stake in Portugal’s SC Braga last month, which was the investment fund’s first step into multi-club ownership and a further sign of the increased significance of QSI and beIN for Qatar post-World Cup.
“I don’t think they will give up on sport being a component of the nation’s strategy,” said Mahfoud Amara, associate professor of sport management at Qatar University.
Qatar will host football’s Asian Cup in 2023 and the multi-sport Asian Games in 2030. Officials are currently also in preliminary discussions about a bid for another crown jewel event: The 2036 Summer Olympics.
England captain Harry Kane will not wear a pro-LGBTQ+ armband Monday, during England’s opening match against Iran at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Along with six other European countries, England dropped plans for the captain to wear a “One Love” armband due to FIFA’s threat of “sporting sanctions” — likely yellow cards for offending players. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.
“We cannot put our players in the situation where they might be booked or even forced to leave the field of play,” a joint statement from the Football Associations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland reads. The group of teams added that they are “very frustrated” after a letter sent to world football governing body FIFA in September informing about the wish to wear the armband went unanswered.
Over the weekend, the German and Danish teams had vowed that their captains would wear the armband, but those countries have now reversed their position.
Qatar has faced criticism ever since it was awarded the tournament in 2010 for its treatment of migrant workers, as well as its stance on the LGBTQ+ community and women’s rights.
The armband row follows other debates over strict rules at the Qatar World Cup, including a controversial last-minute decision to ban the sale of alcohol in match stadiums.
On Saturday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino blasted Western critics of Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup, accusing them of “hypocrisy” before the start of the global football tournament.
Slamming FIFA and Qatar’s critics for double standards, Infantino said: “I think for what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years, before starting to give moral lessons to people.”
Cristiano Ronaldo knows a thing or two about World Cups. He has played in four of them and is about to make it to a record-tying fifth this month in Qatar.
Ronaldo also knows when he sees something promising, and he believes this time there is reason to feel optimistic about the chances of a talented Portugal squad that mixes the right amount of experience and youth as it tries to win its first World Cup title.
“The squad for this World Cup is a great mix of experienced players and young rising stars, and I hope we can show the world what this Portugal team is capable of at the very highest level of the world game,” Ronaldo told The Associated Press ahead of the launch of his inaugural NFT collection with cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance.
The collection will be available Friday, just before the World Cup starts, and the bidding price for some of the collectibles related to the soccer star will begin at the equivalent of about $10,000. The NFTs will feature seven animated statues depicting Ronaldo from iconic moments in his life, ranging from bicycle-kick goals to his childhood in Portugal.
Ronaldo often attracted most of the attention any time Portugal played, but this time he will enter the World Cup sharing some of the spotlight with a talented group of players that includes Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix and Rafael Leão.
“I’ve been thrilled to see this generation of players thrive,” the 37-year-old Ronaldo said in emailed comments to the AP. “It’s hard to compare one generation with another. Everyone who plays for Portugal, whether in the past or today, has overcome so much to compete at the top level.”
The only player older than Ronaldo in Portugal’s squad is veteran central defender Pepe, who will be playing in his fourth World Cup.
Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in men’s international soccer with 117 goals, helped Portugal win the European Championship in 2016 and the inaugural edition of the Nations League in 2019, but he is still missing soccer’s biggest prize.
Portugal’s best result in the tournament with Ronaldo playing came in 2006 in Germany, when the team reached the semifinals. Portugal didn’t make it past the round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
“Of course we’re there to win and I believe we have the squad to do it,” Ronaldo said. “But then there are a number of top teams out there with world-class talent — so we have to stay focused, stay humble, and go out there and show what we can do. The rest will follow.”
Ronaldo endured a letdown at the club level for the first time in his career this season, not getting as many minutes as expected with Manchester United. He has dismissed the possibility that this will be his last tournament with Portugal, but said soccer will be just fine after he and 35-year-old Lionel Messi — who could also be making his last World Cup appearance with Argentina — retire from the international stage.
“There have always been and there always will be rising stars at the top level,” Ronaldo said. “I have no doubt that the World Cup will unveil the next generation of talent ready to change the game.”
Portugal will plays it’s opening match at this year’s World Cup against Ghana on Nov. 24. Uruguay and South Korea are also in Group H..
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni
David Beckham’s “status as a gay icon will be shredded” if the former England captain and Manchester United star continues in his role as a Qatar World Cup ambassador said British comedian Joe Lycett on Sunday.
In a video posted on Twitter, Lycett, a British comedian who describes himself as queer on his website, said he would donate £10,000 ($11,000) to charities supporting “queer people in football” or put the money through the shredder along with “Beckham’s reputation as a gay icon” if the former footballer did not cut ties with Qatar.
Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy has recently told CNN that the 2022 World Cup will “be an inclusive, safe tournament” and said “everyone is welcome, regardless of race, background, religion, gender, orientation or nationality.”
World football governing body FIFA referred CNN to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for all comment relating to Lycett’s criticism of Beckham and Qatar.
Beckham, contacted by CNN through his representatives, declined to comment on the criticism around his ambassadorship.
CNN contacted the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for comment but has not received a response.
“Homosexuality is illegal, punishable by imprisonment and, if you’re Muslim, possibly even death,” said Lycett in an Instagram post.
A report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) published in October documented alleged cases of beatings and sexual harassment. According to victims interviewed by Human Rights Watch, security forces allegedly forced transgender women to attend conversion therapy sessions at a behavioral healthcare center sponsored by the government.
“Qatari authorities need to end impunity for violence against LGBT people. The world is watching,” said Rasha Younes of Human Rights Watch.
A Qatari official told CNN that the HRW allegations “contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false.”
World’s only openly gay active pro footballer is concerned for LGBTQ community ahead of Qatar 2022
04:39
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CNN
Lycett, however, is taking aim at Beckham.
“You’re the first Premiership footballer to do shoots with gay magazines like Attitude, to speak openly about your gay fans,” Lycett said.
“Now, it’s 2022. And you signed a reported £10 million ($11.7 million) deal with Qatar to be their ambassador during the FIFA World Cup.”
Under Qatari law, homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison.
Lycett said that Beckham has “always talked about the power of football as a force for good” and encouraged him to use his platform to campaign for LGBTQ rights.
“If you do not, by midday next Sunday [November 20, 2022], I will throw this money into a shredder just before the opening ceremony of the World Cup and stream it live on a website I’ve registered called benderslikebeckham.com.”
Lycett is not the first person or group to criticize Beckham for his ambassadorship. Adelaide United player Josh Cavallo, who came out as gay last year, told CNN Sport he would like to see Beckham using his platform to support the LGBTQ community instead of promoting the Qatari government.
“If someone like David Beckham with his platform does get around us and becomes an ally that we are wanting him to be, it is really helpful.
“If he could take that next step and show what he means to the LGBTQ community, that would be fantastic.”
HRW has also recently highlighted “arbitrary arrests and ill-treatment” of LGBTQ people in Qatar.
“There are just a few days until the World Cup kickoff, but that’s plenty of time for the Qatari government to end ill-treatment of LGBT people,” HRW said in a November press release.
“Qatari authorities should publicly condemn violence against LGBT people and formally recognize that having same-sex sexual attraction is not a mental health condition.”
Tropical gardens meet luxury shops at Hamad Airport.
State of Qatar Comms
Grand garden designs are all the rage in airports at the moment. Regular travelers may be familiar with Singapore Changi Airport’s Jewel, which opened before the pandemic, while the new terminal at India’s Bengaluru Airport also offers large expanses of greenery.
Possibly outdoing both of them is Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Doha. Its latest expansion has transformed the terminal into an indoor tropical oasis, complete with a 6,000 square foot water feature and a luxury line-up of branded boutiques in very close proximity that few capital cities could match. All of it just before the FIFA World Cup kicks off on November 20.
Called The Orchard, the 65,000 square foot garden—filled with more than 300 trees and over 25,000 plants sourced from sustainable forests around the world—sits at the center of the futuristic terminal expansion. Around it on the upper floor, the airport’s retailer, Qatar Duty Free, has managed to attract a roll call of the world’s biggest luxury names in some pretty stunning digital boutiques.
Two of the best are from Louis Vuitton and Fendi, but also present is the first Dior store at HIA, the first Thom Browne store in an airport plus Boss, Bulgari, Burberry, Gucci, Moncler, Montblanc, Omega, Polo Ralph Lauren RL , Tiffany, Zegna and more. A FIFA shop is also present as is the largest Ray-Ban store in an airport.
HIA had been named Skytrax’s world’s best airport for two years running before this latest addition. Together with Qatar Duty Free, both operations are subsidiaries of Qatar Airways Group whose CEO, Akbar Al Baker, said that the airport had grown to become “the ultimate example of a successful, sustainable global facility.” He added: “The environment here speaks for itself; it is unmatched anywhere in the world.”
Well-timed opening
With the FIFA World Cup dogged by controversy, Qatar Airways is ensuring it is on top form during the lead-in to the event, and during it, to avoid more negative commentary. As well as timing the reveal of the new extension and its upscale shopping perfectly, it has also put in place contingencies to cater to the influx of air travelers who, it is hoped, will be a source of significant extra retail revenue in the coming weeks.
A semi-transparent capsule from Louis Vuitton.
State of Qatar Comms
At a press conference on Thursday, Al Baker reminded the media that Qatar’s former lead gateway, Doha International Airport, has been fully activated since September 15. The facility is taking all point-to-point traffic to the city as a way of easing the pressure on HIA. To be doubly sure of no capacity issues, Qatar Airways has “flattened the peak” at the hub by cutting 18 destinations during the period of the tournament.
Al Baker did hold back on the criticism that has come Qatar’s way in recent days, saying: “People cannot accept that a small country like Qatar has won the world’s largest sporting event. Congratulations to my beloved country. This extension mark a milestone in our FIFA journey which we have all been looking forward to for the past 12 years.”
The expansion takes HIA’s capacity up from 40 million passengers to 58 million annually. Future expansions will enable the gateway to handle 75 million travelers and the first phase of those will begin in January 2023 by extending the concourses on either side of The Orchard and which may allow for yet more retail facilities.
Luxury stores overlook lush gardens at Hamad’s new extension.
State of Qatar Comms
These developments, along with the high-end retail offer, reinforce HIA’s position as a global connecting air hub with 150 destinations and growing. The shopping and service elements are also drivers of non-aeronautical revenue, and profitability in particular. Qatar Airways Group does not break out its retail income but in the year ending March 2022, overall sales exceeded the same period to March 2020, while the group swung from a huge loss of over $4 billion in FY21 to a profit of $1.5 billion in FY22.
Prior to opening The Orchard, HIA had just over 430,000 square feet of duty-free and concession space housing more than 90 luxury and accessible stores, as well as more than 30 restaurants and cafés. The expansion project has delivered an additional 126,000 square feet of retail and F&B.
Doha, Qatar – The men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup is fast approaching. Kickoff in the opening match takes place on November 20, almost 12 years since the day Qatar was awarded hosting rights for the tournament.
The event will feature 32 teams and attract more than 1.2 million visitors to Qatar, which will become the first country in the Middle East to host football’s biggest tournament.
Here is a list of some other firsts at this year’s World Cup:
Offside technology
In July, football’s world governing body, FIFA, announced the use of a semi-automated offside system at the World Cup to help make fast and accurate offside calls.
According to the governing body’s rules, a player is in an offside position if “any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents’ half (excluding the halfway line) and any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent”.
The technology uses a sensor in the ball and a limb-tracking camera system to follow the movements of players. To help fans and viewers at home understand the referee’s decision, the data will be used to project 3D images on stadium screens.
Twelve cameras will be mounted on top of each of the eight host stadiums to provide player movement data to the Video Assistant Referee system [File: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters]
Substitutions
Teams will be allowed five substitutions in each game as opposed to three from the previous World Cup in Russia in 2018.
The regulation was introduced by football’s rule-setting body, the International Football Association Board, in 2020 after what it said was “a global analysis of the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on football as well as representations from several key stakeholders from across the football community”.
Argentina’s Julian Alvarez comes on as a substitute to replace Lautaro Martinez during a match against Chile [File: Javier Torres/Pool/Reuters]
If a World Cup game goes into extra time, one additional substitution will be allowed.
Several football leagues, including Spain’s La Liga and Major League Soccer in the United States, have implemented the change over the past two years.
November kickoff
Unlike previous tournaments, Qatar 2022 will be taking place during the months of November and December.
Previously, the World Cup had always been held during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, often in June and July. The change was made to avoid high temperatures in Qatar, which can reach up to 50C (122F) during that period.
During the tournament, temperatures are predicted to range from 14C to 31C (57F to 88F).
Expanded squad lists
In November, participating countries will name squads containing a maximum of 26 players, three more than what was allowed at the World Cup in Russia.
According to FIFA, the change was made due to the “unique timing” of the tournament being held in November and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Cup preliminary squad list was also expanded from a maximum 35 players to 55.
Female referees
For the first time at the men’s World Cup, three women have been included among the 36 referees selected for Qatar 2022.
France’s Stephanie Frappart, Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita and Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga have all previously officiated at a men’s tournament, including the UEFA Super Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
Referee Salima Mukansanga shows a yellow card to Zimbabwe’s Talbert Shumba [File: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters]
“It’s a strong sign from FIFA and the authorities to have women referees in that country,” Frappart said. “I’m not a feminist spokesperson, but if this can make things happen …”
Joining them will be three other women who will serve among the 69 assistant referees.
Most ‘compact’ World Cup
With an area of little more than 11,500sq km (4,440sq miles) and a population of around 2.9 million, Qatar will be the smallest country ever to host FIFA’s flagship tournament.
All eight stadiums are located within a 50km (31-mile) radius of the capital, Doha. During the group stages, most days will feature up to four games.
While Qatar and FIFA say the “compact” nature of the tournament will allow people to watch multiple matches a day, critics argue that an influx of more than 1.2 million people could lead to major congestion on the streets, making it more difficult for people to move around the country.
“Having four matches in a day is a challenge in a city like Doha,” Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, organiser of the tournament, said last month. “… Of course, we are expecting to have congestion on the streets.”
Schools in Qatar will remain closed during the World Cup while office working hours have been reduced.
