Should we all refuse to watch? Qatar's attitudes towards homosexuality, women's rights and labour law violations are provoking international outcry. Now some are calling for a boycott of the World Cup.
Anger rising over Qatar 'World Cup of shame'
Should we all refuse to watch? Qatar's attitudes towards homosexuality, women's rights and labour law violations are provoking international outcry. Now some are calling for a boycott of the World Cup.
A fire-breathing spider made from fifty tonnes of steel. Seven glitzy new stadiums. Over a month of musical festivities. Ice rinks just miles from beach clubs; theme parks adjacent to circuses; light shows which promise a "glance into the future".
At its heart, the FIFAThe Federation Internationale de Football Association is the world's highest governing body of association football. World Cup is a carnival, where the football itself often pales in comparison with the rampant showboating of its host country. This season, Qatar promises to prevail over by far the most expensive tournament of all time, with expenses of over $220bn (£187bn). The sum amounts to 20 times what Russia spent hosting the World Cup in 2018.
If this figure does not make your jaw drop, £187bn is more than the respective GDPs of 144 countries in the world. Qatar's own GDP is just $180bn (£153bn). As one New York Times writer remarks, "there is nothing quite like sports for a grand celebration of capitalism at its most rapaciousGreedy.".
This extravagance may seem surprising. It is, some say, wildly at odds with Qatar's conservative culture. Alcohol is mostly illegal. Adultery can lead to 100 lashes. Homosexuality can be punishable by death. Many argue it is far from inclusive to host the event in a place where the rights of LGBTQ+ people and women are so restricted.
Last year, the Guardian reported that over 6,500 migrant workers have died constructing the tournament's infrastructure. Many of them were supposedly subjected to the "kafala system", a labour law in Qatar which allows employers to confiscate workers' passports to stop them from leaving the country.1
Meanwhile, the tournament will pump an estimated 10 million tonnes of toxic carbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is a colourless gas formed during the combustion of any material containing carbon and is a significant greenhouse gas. into the atmosphere.2
Ten European team captains plan to wear "One Love" armbands to convey opposition to Qatar's anti-homosexuality policies. England Defender Lotte Wubben-Moy has stated that she will not be watching the men's World Cup due to moral objections.
A growing movement is calling for us to switch off our televisions during the football season to signal that we do not condone human rights violations. Experts claim this would help to combat "sportswashing", a term used to describes countries distracting from human rights violations by hosting sports events.3
Others call boycotts ineffective and often hypocritical. For those queasy about the use of indentured labour in the tournament, for example, we might ask if they would similarly boycott the White House, VaticanWhere the Pope lives in Italy., the Palace of Versailles or the Pyramids, since they were all built by slave labour.
Politicising football is nothing new. It has been used to support the Black Lives Matter movement in the USA, and to fight child poverty in the UK.
When Russia hosted the World Cup in 2018, it was already occupying the sovereign territory of both Ukraine and Georgia. And a number of international football clubs also operate in occupied Palestine.
<h5 class=" eplus-wrapper" id="question">Should we all refuse to watch?</h5>
Yes: Boycotting the World Cup will not bring back those who died building the stadiums and other infrastructure, but it could prevent it from happening again if it significantly dents viewing figures.
No: There is no chance that a boycott would ever seriously affect viewing figures, since it is one of the most popular global events. Figures show that more than half of the world tunes in.
Or... Morality is far from black and white. Many people use the World Cup to connect with the people around them: family, friends, acquaintances. It provides a sense of national and international community and brings people a lot of joy.
Fifa - The Federation Internationale de Football Association is the world's highest governing body of association football.
Rapacious - Greedy.
Carbon dioxide - Carbon dioxide is a colourless gas formed during the combustion of any material containing carbon and is a significant greenhouse gas.
Vatican - Where the Pope lives in Italy.
Anger rising over Qatar ‘World Cup of shame’

Glossary
Fifa - The Federation Internationale de Football Association is the world's highest governing body of association football.
Rapacious - Greedy.
Carbon dioxide - Carbon dioxide is a colourless gas formed during the combustion of any material containing carbon and is a significant greenhouse gas.
Vatican - Where the Pope lives in Italy.