The Dark Secret Of Qatar World Cup

Giselle Cruz Cardoza

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As November comes, the fanatic soccer world cup arrives, and this year, Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. As each nation competes for the cup, fans from all over the world will come to watch these soccer matches. However, Qatar lacked the necessary infrastructure for this event. Gianni Infantino (the newly elected president of FIFA) promised to get on track before the cup began. For the construction of these enormous stadiums and other buildings like hotels, Qatar imported thousands of migrants from Asia and Africa. Fans would be able to cheer on their country in seven brand-new stadiums while also enjoying a luxurious experience in the new airport, metro system, and hotels. What these people may not know is that below these incredibly structured stadiums and buildings may lie the bodies of hardworking migrants. Qatar had promised migrant workers wages that were much more than what they could receive back at home. Over 2 million workers came with the attitude of having a better life here than in their origin country. Workers and citizens later realized the cruel limitations they were under. Living in small rooms (labor camps) with other workers, working excessive hours in the raging heat, and not being paid at all. Protesting began but it caused the deportation of many. Over 6,500 recorded deaths were reported as of February 2021. These numbers aren't exact because many bodies weren't even found, but family members reported the disappearance of their loved ones. It took Qatar some time to finally make a change to respect these workers' human rights. However, the practice of providing access to justice (court for payment) and a mandated minimum wage was good on paper, but it was only rarely upheld in reality. These leaders are the ones abusing their power, but the sport of soccer is still a beautiful sport that shouldn't get a bad reputation.