Qatar, a tiny, conservative, controversial host prepares for monthlong World Cup party
Finally, after 12 years of controversy and international hand-wringing about human rights issues, the 2022 World Cup will kick off Sunday in Qatar.
The tiny Persian Gulf peninsula with no soccer pedigree is spending an unprecedented $229 billion to host the monthlong tournament, which is expected to draw a TV audience of close to 5 billion people. Four years ago, by comparison, Russia spent a then-record $11.6 billion to put on the event.
It isn’t just the price tag that sets this World Cup apart from all others in the tournament’s 92-year history.
It is the first World Cup in the Middle East. It is the first hosted outside the summer months, a schedule change that disrupted most leagues around the world but was necessary to avoid a desert climate that soars to 120 degrees in July and August.
It the first in a conservative Muslim country, which has presented challenges as the World Cup is known for its rowdy party atmosphere and alcohol consumption.
Budweiser, a major World Cup sponsor with exclusive rights to beer sales, originally was going to be allowed to serve within the perimeter around each stadium, just not in the stadiums. On Friday, 48 hours before the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador, Cup organizers announced that alcohol will be banned in the stadium perimeters. Fans will be able to drink only in designated fan zones.
This World Cup will also be the most compact in history. Most World Cups are spread over multiple cities and require trains — or planes in the case of recent hosts Brazil and Russia — to travel from venue to venue. The 2026 Cup, which includes Miami as a host city will span three countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada.
In Qatar, a nation smaller than the state of Connecticut, all eight stadiums are within a 35-mile radius, and the entire event is centered on one city, Doha.
Because there is no professional soccer history in Qatar and the country has never held an event of this magnitude, the entire infrastructure had to be built. Seven state-of-the-art stadiums were constructed, most of them with outdoor air conditioning and vents under each seat.
Hotels, training facilities, roadways, a metro train system and massive airport improvements were also built. Even with the new hotels, there weren’t enough rooms to accommodate the estimated 1.2 million visitors (one-third of the Qatar population), so cruise ships were brought in from Italy and trailer and tent guest villages have popped up around the region.
Qatari officials hope the tournament will modernize and improve their nation’s image around the world and help make it a tourism destination like Dubai. But it has not been an easy sell.
The tournament has been condemned by human rights groups ever since Qatar won the hosting rights in December 2010, beating out bids from the United States and Japan. Amnesty International has referred to soccer’s showcase event as the “Qatar World Cup of Shame,” claiming foreign migrant workers building stadiums have been abused and exploited and that many have died on the job. Amnesty and other groups have spoken out against Qatar’s stance on the LGBTQ community as same-sex relationships are illegal there.
The government disputes many of the allegations about the migrant workers, but says it has improved conditions, building new living quarters and introducing new labor laws guaranteeing a minimum wage, restricting hours in extreme heat and making it easier to switch jobs.
World Cup organizers say everyone is welcome during the tournament, regardless of their background, religion, gender, nationality and sexual orientation.
FIFA rules stipulate that displays promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights be permitted in stadiums.
Nevertheless, several European teams announced plans to protest the anti-gay policies by having their captains wear a rainbow-themed armband. Sportswear manufacturer Hummel announced that it toned down its jerseys and added a black uniform for the Danish national team to mourn workers who allegedly lost their lives in the run-up to the Cup.
The U.S. team is showing its support for the LGBTQ community by wearing a rainbow logo during training as part of its “Be the Change” mission. Some of the signage in the U.S. base camp is also rainbow-themed.
On Tuesday night, eight USMNT players and two coaches welcomed 20 migrant workers who helped build the infrastructure to participate in a scrimmage and penalty kick shootout at Al Gharafa Stadium, the team’s World Cup training site.
“When we are on the world stage and when we are in a venue like Qatar, it is important to bring awareness to these issues and that is what ‘Be the Change’ is about,” U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said. “It is not just stateside that we want to bring attention to social issues, it is also abroad. We recognize that Qatar has made strides and there has been a ton of progress but there’s some work still to do.”
Despite the challenges, three million tickets have been sold. The top 10 ticket buyers by country are: Qatar, United States, Saudi Arabia, England, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, France, Brazil and Germany.
It remains to be seen how police will deal with foreign fans’ violations of the Islamic laws criminalizing public drunkenness, homosexuality and indecent clothing. Men and women are being asked to cover their bodies from shoulders to knees in most public places.
FIFA, aware of the controversies, recently sent out a letter urging the 32 teams to avoid discussing anything but soccer during the tournament.
“We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world,” the letter read. “But please do not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists.”
Too late. Let the games and protests begin.
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 4:49 PM.