NEW YORK — Qatar’s hosting of this year’s men’s World Cup has been dogged by controversy ever since the day 12 years ago when FIFA awarded its showcase to a Middle Eastern nation for the first time.
Indeed, the clamor started even before then, with allegations — including from the U.S. Department of Justice — that Qatar bribed FIFA officials to win the hosting rights.
Then came years of claims that migrant workers were mistreated while building palatial hotels and stadiums, and the transportation infrastructure to link them. A report by England’s Guardian newspaper in February 2021 claimed that over 6,500 migrant workers had died since the hosting was awarded. Last month, Denmark’s national team and its uniform supplier created blank jerseys for the tournament as a protest.
