Despite a series of scandals, the FIFA World Cup 2022 has finally kicked off in the Middle East. It’s a tournament that has been a long time in the making, and it will be an exciting time for football fans. In addition to being an exciting tournament, it will also be a historic event, since it is the first time Qatar has hosted a World Cup. It will also coincide with Qatar’s National Day, which will be on December 18 in 2022.
One of the biggest scandals has been the way Qatar has recruited migrant workers to help build the infrastructure of the tournament. The stadiums and roads that will be built for the tournament are being built by these workers, but they are being treated badly. Thousands of migrant workers have died or have been injured while building the stadiums. This is a problem that has been going on for years, and it is now becoming a global issue.
Another controversy has been that the FIFA World Cup has been awarded to Qatar in a corrupt manner. A group of nations including the UK, France, Spain and Norway have criticized the decision, demanding that FIFA strip Qatar of the tournament. The Norwegian soccer head, Cindy Boren, also took a stance against the hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
A letter by FIFPRO, the global players’ union, condemns Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers. The letter also calls on Qatar to respect the right of trade unions to organize and form. Qatar must accelerate its efforts to change its policies to make sure that migrant workers are protected.
Meanwhile, James Maddison, Leicester’s top player, is not training with the England team. Marcos Llorente and Hugo Guillamon are both expected to miss the World Cup because of injury. Also, Belgium are expected to be without Romelu Lukaku in the first two games.
England coach Gareth Southgate has been deliberating who should start in the World Cup opener against Iran on Monday. He’s considering whether to play Foden or Saka. He’s also studying the XI he will have to field against the Germans.
Meanwhile, Spain have announced that Ansu Fati will start their final warmup match before the World Cup against Jordan. Karim Benzema will also not feature, just days before France’s opening match. The defender was ruled out of the tournament for a fifth minute plus. He is reportedly suffering from a low grade lateral sprain. It’s unclear whether he will be fit to play the full 90 minutes.
FIFA has also announced a partnership with a blockchain technology company called Algorand, which will help the World Cup be tracked on the internet. The company plans to launch a mobile app that will allow fans to track the tournament, and it will also be a platform for fans to interact with each other.
In addition to the migrant workers that are helping to build the infrastructure of the tournament, there are two million workers working on the stadiums. Some of them will be serving fans in restaurants, as the tournament approaches. In addition, some of the fans who travel to Qatar will be paid to attend the tournament. However, the country’s human rights record has led many Dutch fans to stay home.
