Gary Lineker began the BBC's coverage of the World Cup in Qatar with a monologue addressing the human rights abuses in the host nation.
The lead presenter for the BBC's coverage of the tournament in the Gulf nation – the first time it has ever been hosted in the Middle East – focused on allegations of corruption of how Qatar landed the tournament, alongside its treatment of migrant workers who built the stadiums for the tournament and LGBT+ people.
Lineker's remarks came ahead of the opening game of the tournament, between Qatar and Ecuador. His comments were in contrast to Gary Neville's assessment of Qatar, which was delivered on Qatari-owned beIN Sports alongside stinging criticism of FIFA president Gianni Infantino.