FIFA WORLD CUP 2022 QATAR

SHAUN CONNOLLY

Did you know that the FIFA World Cup is happening this winter instead of its usual summer time? Did you know the original timeline of the World Cup in the first place? Have you seen the Jon Hamm ad where he plays a very sexy Santa Claus who has to quickly make a bunch of soccer balls and jerseys at the last minute because America has fallen in love with soccer during the holiday season?

It's okay if you didn’t know much of this. There has been a conflicted and tepid rollout to this specific tournament. There have been controversies, death and corruption, so obviously there has been a big public relations problem getting the word out to those who may even be slightly interested.

Surprisingly, in 2010 Qatar was named the host of the 2022 World Cup. Since then, controversy has followed. The former president of FIFA (the governing body of the World Cup) Sepp Blatter was banned as president after corruption charges, but helped select Qatar as the host. Since then there have been bribery allegations. According to reports from Al Jazeera numerous FIFA officials were bribed millions of dollars so that Qatar would be chosen. Qatari officials deny all allegations.

There were significant problems just with the setting of the games in the first place. Qatar can reach up to 120 degrees in the summer months, making it impossible for players to play when the tournament would typically occur. So they moved it to the winter. For the next decade human rights allegations have swirled around Qatar with experts accusing them of forced labor from migrant workers. In the decade leading to this winter over 1,000 migrant workers from Nepal and India with low wages and terrible working conditions.

Finally LGBTQ+ and women’s rights have come into focus in Qatar. Rights advocates are rightfully concerned about how these two groups, who are normally treated poorly, will be treated as they come to their country and live under their laws. Qatar’s main form of legislation is Sharia law which does require women to cover their heads and does not recognize anyone’s lifestyle that isn’t heterosexual. With all this in mind I reached out to soccer fans in Worcester about their excitement level for this year’s Cup. Unsurprisingly, folks were all over the map with their interest.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the US team does considering they failed to qualify for the previous World Cup,” says Spencer Cannistraro. “Big fan of the [US’s] jerseys, not a huge fan of FIFA’s politics and I have a real problem with the slave labor used to prepare the sites, but again I do love the jerseys,” added Holden comedian John Flagg.

Some weren’t even aware that the competition was actually even happening this season, while others were as conflicted as Flagg was.

“It's the first time in a long time I’m severely torn about the World Cup. The labor standards, horrific practices that saw multitudes of worker deaths and the seeming acquiescence to Qatar social dynamics makes this a World Cup I want to, but may not be able to, boycott,” says James Nixon. Jonathan Hardy Lavoie, a local educator agrees, “ultimately my excitement is overriding my good sense.”

Some just love the sport too much to deny any moral misgivings. Nick Lewis, a bartender and server, is excited to see their favorite player Lionel Messi play for Argentina and wants “to see him lift up the gold before he retires.” Others are still politically minded, but using that awareness to fuel his fandom, “The USA and England both conspired to overthrow Iran’s democratic government in the 1950s and now they are all in the same group. Juicy plot line there.”

However you feel about the upcoming tournament, it's happening, beginning on November 30th on NBC and NBCUniversal channels. Tune in, boycott or supplement your sports watching needs passively while you wrap presents for whatever holiday you celebrate this December.