The men’s FIFA World Cup is set to kick off at Al-Bayt Stadium in Qatar, but the globe’s biggest celebration of football has been overshadowed by the host nation’s chequered human rights record. Along with its mistreatment of the LGBTQI+ community, the alleged labour abuses taking place in the lead-up to the tournament have dampened excitement about the on-pitch spectacles.
The players too are aware of the problem. Australia’s national team, the Socceroos, released a collective statement and accompanying video featuring 16 players, in hopes of leaving “a legacy that goes well beyond the final whistle”.
“We have learned that the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar has resulted in suffering and the harm of countless of our fellow workers,” Jackson Irvine of the Socceroos said.
