How Qatar Changed Soccer Forever
Argentina Captain Lionel Messi is presented with a traditional Arab bisht during his coronation as World Cup Champion. Source for picture: Daily Sabah via Reuters
On a warm summer evening in Lusail, Qatar, Lionel Messi scored the first goal of the FIFA World Cup final. The 35-year-old slotted an expert penalty kick into the bottom corner of the goal to put Argentina ahead. It didn’t take long before Angel Di Maria added to the lead, flicking a shot over opposing goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to find the back of the net. The sea of blue and white shirted Argentina supporters was practically in a frenzy: chanting, embracing, crying tears of joy. It seemed as though the World Cup final would reach a monotonous conclusion as the Latin American titans continued to trounce the French. The second half proved that to be far from the case, as Kylian Mbappe, who many believe to be the heir apparent to the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, exploded onto the scoresheet with two goals in the span of less than three minutes. The game would then thunder on to extra time where both Messi and Mbappe would score again in dazzling fashion. A tie at the end of extra time meant penalty kicks, and the world held its breath. After heroics from the Argentine goalkeeper, 25-year-old Gonzalo Montiel stepped up to the penalty spot with the hopes of a nation on his back. In front of an anticipating crowd of supporters, Montiel hammered the ball into the net and Argentina’s name onto the World Cup trophy. For many, the game cemented Lionel Messi as the greatest soccer player in the history of the world’s most popular sport.
Soccer fans and pundits across the globe have called the 2022 FIFA World Cup final the best in history. While the spectacle on the field in Qatar was fantastic, there was no shortage of controversy off the pitch. Before FIFA even decided the location of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar was rumored to have bribed officials to better their chances of receiving the tournament. After the Middle Eastern country won the bid, reports of horrific working conditions during the construction of tournament infrastructure surfaced. While the World Cup was being played, displays of social activism were silenced by the Qatari government. The juxtaposition of harsh protests and fantastic soccer begs the question: What does this World Cup mean for the relationship between politics and sports going forward?
In 2020, the United States Department of Justice formally accused Qatar of bribing numerous FIFA voters to look favorably upon their World Cup bid back in 2010. That was after a UK-based publication obtained a collection of leaked documents establishing a link between Qatari soccer official Mohammed bin Hammam and millions of dollars in bribe money given to FIFA officials. Many had already suspected foul play, wondering how a miniscule country with blistering summer heat and insufficient infrastructure could have won a World Cup bid. Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy published a statement after the DOJ indictments saying, “Despite years of false claims, evidence has never been produced to demonstrate that Qatar won the rights to host the FIFA World Cup 2022 unethically or by means that contravened FIFA’s strict bidding rules.”
Another controversy before the tournament began regarded possible human right’s violations during the construction of the many hotels and stadiums built for the World Cup. Qatar has in place a kafala system, a remnant of colonial British practices that places migrant laborers at the mercy of their employers in keeping their visas. Perhaps the most controversial provision within the kafala system is the requirement for workers to obtain permission before leaving the country or their job, giving employers immense power. It is common practice for wealthier Middle Eastern nations to take advantage of cheap labor from places like nearby Nepal, India, and Pakistan. However, the unprecedented demand for workers brought on by the World Cup pushed the practice to a new level.
The Guardian estimated that over 6,500 migrant workers died during the ten year span between Qatar winning the World Cup bid and the tournament taking place. The number includes deaths from heat exhaustion, traffic accidents, and other causes. Laborers toiled long hours in oppressive desert heat during construction. They often shared small rooms with as many as twelve men. Sanitation was all but nonexistent. In the end, there were countless accounts of unpaid labor, death, and imprisonment amongst the migrant workers who lifted eight stadiums and a plethora of new hotels and roads out of the desert.
As the World Cup approached, the spotlight began to shine on one issue more than any other. Qatari law currently criminalizes physical same-sex relations. Men engaging in consensual sex can be sentenced to prison for up to 7 years, and men who “entice” another man to engage in sex can be punished with up to 3 years in prison. Accounts from Qatari citizens and expatriates paint the Middle Eastern nation as a dangerous place for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Human Rights Watch documented six instances during which police doled out “severe beatings” for those whom they suspected of being non-heterosexual between 2019 and 2022.
In the lead up to the World Cup, many news outlets, soccer fans, and activists began to speak out about Qatar’s treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals. Qatari officials tended to deny the most damning allegations and implored the world to respect their “conservative society” in explaining others. Team captains from seven European nations announced that they would wear a rainbow armband in protest of Qatar’s record on LGBTQ+ rights. However, FIFA then announced an in-game punishment of a yellow card for any player sporting an armband. All seven captains backed down after hearing of the measure, one that could seriously jeopardize their teams’ chances of World Cup glory.
As the tournament progressed and the intrigue of the soccer stories grew, less focus was placed on controversies outside of the stadium. Morocco made a dazzling run to the semifinals and only narrowly lost a consolation game to place fourth in the World Cup. Brazil, the tournament favorites, suffered a shocking defeat in penalty kicks to Croatia. And finally, Lionel Messi lifted the one major cup that his glittering trophy case lacked.
Even with all of the negative press at the beginning, Qatar will both internally and externally deem the tournament a success. They put their name on the global stage by spending more money on the World Cup than any country has spent in history. As analysts have pointed out, it is much easier to do business or engage in diplomacy with a familiar nation that recently hosted the world’s largest sporting event. “Having the world cup means you belong,” said the chief soccer correspondent for the New York Times.
It is safe to say that FIFA was more than satisfied with Qatar’s performance. Soccer’s international governing body made over $1 billion in profit during this World Cup cycle. Further reflecting their satisfaction, FIFA officials consistently stood behind Qatar when controversies cropped up. Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, gave a rambling, hourlong interview at the beginning of the tournament in which he defended Qatar and accused the West of hypocrisy in criticizing the Middle Eastern nation. All of this has led some to believe that in the future, FIFA will not pay much heed to the human rights record of World Cup host countries. Instead, the organization will opt to select nations that will spend big and do what FIFA deems necessary.
There are many strong bids for the 2030 World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Ukraine have joined forces, a South American bid seems imminent, and Morocco, the stars of the 2022 World Cup, have thrown their hat in the ring. The bid that most experts say is in the lead? Saudi Arabia. It seems that Qatar has just set a precedent for the largest tournament in sports.