In his poem Die Lorelei, Heinrich Heine touched on the stillness of the Rhine in his portrait of the legendary mermaid who lured sailors to their doom on the rocks along the river. Just shy of 200 years after Heine's masterpiece, no siren songs have been required to attract footballers to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Thirty-two squads of 26 players will be present and ready to parade their collective wonderfulness in front of local authorities, who are famous for their conservative approach to gay and transgender people, and renowned for their featherlight touch concerning the welfare of migrant workers in the country.
