DOHA, Qatar | The World Cup in Qatar is now over. What conclusions can we draw from a controversial event twelve years ago?
• Also read: Argentine Champion!
• Also read: WM: What we learned
Because the fact is that the tournament was preceded by years of criticism and controversy, and it continued even after the players started kicking the ball around.
We cannot ignore the way this project came about, starting with the claims of bribes that would have allowed the tiny emirate of just under three million people to win the tournament.
And it’s just the first milestone in a long line of controversies that have plagued the 12 years leading up to the tournament since Qatar’s award was announced in 2010.
human rights
AFP archive photo
More than 6,500 migrant workers are believed to have died in Qatar as construction of stadiums, metro and infrastructure continues.
From a sporting point of view, the tournament was successful, but at what cost? At the cost of thousands of lives as more than 6,500 migrant workers would have died in Qatar while construction on the stadiums, metro and infrastructure continued.
It is therefore difficult to separate the sporting from the human in this context, even though the emirate has reviewed its labor rights policy over time. Despite everything, there were fatalities during the tournament. A worker died in a fall at a training ground, and a security guard suffered the same fate at Lusail Stadium.
A mural honoring the workers had been erected in the town of Lusail, but strangely enough it had disappeared before the tournament began. Why ?
Even before it began, the tournament was marred in the days leading up to its start and throughout its first week, and other events added to the controversy.
budget
AFP archive photo
budget
A few days before the start of the tournament came what can be called the Budgate. It was determined that no alcoholic beverages would be sold in the stadiums.
It was clear, known and known, respecting Qatar’s more conservative principles.
It was determined that there would be areas around the stadiums where fans could whistle a Budweiser or two before and after matches, Bud was the official sponsor of the event.
However, a few days before kick-off, the top organizing committee decided that was not the case. However, it seems that the media has been harassed more than the supporters.
One Love
AFP archive photo
The OneLove bracelet controversy
Then came the controversy surrounding the OneLove armband, which the captains of some European teams had to wear.
It’s a bracelet on which we find a heart, a rainbow and the words OneLove. This was adopted in support of people in the LGBTQ+ community.
Although Qatar had stated that they were ready to welcome everyone and differences, they apparently urged FIFA not to wear the armband during matches.
The association even threatened recalcitrant captains with sporting sanctions, namely yellow cards, if they dared to defy the suspension.
The late American journalist Grant Wahl, who sadly died during the tournament, was even briefly arrested for showing up to a game in a rainbow t-shirt.
fans and villages
Photo Dave Levesque
villages for fans
Then there was this rumor of fans coming from Southeast Asia getting paid to be “fans” in exchange for lodging, tickets and food.
After meeting a very large number of these young people, all men, on the subway and in the various stadiums, we tend to believe that the rumor is true, especially when we talk to a supporter of Canada who does not speak English speaks or French, or a supporter of England who does not understand a word of English. But it seems that India was one of the most present countries among the visitors, so now in doubt we will agree with them.
Then there are the famous villages for the fans, these small temporary installations made of tents or containers that experienced failures in the first few weeks.
One could also talk about the environmental footprint that the air conditioning of eight stadiums in the middle of the desert can represent. At least these stadiums, which are mostly partially demolished, are used for a different purpose and not turned into white elephants.