When the captain of the winning team lifts the FIFA World Cup trophy above his head in Qatar’s Lusail stadium on December 19, football fans will celebrate another sporting success story. There will be heroes and villains, missed opportunities and glorious goals.
Not celebrating will be the families of the migrant workers — most from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka — who died to make the event possible in the first place.
Migrant workers have played an important role in transforming Qatar ever since it was controversially awarded the World Cup hosting rights in 2010. The stadiums where the games will be held this November-December are built on the blood, sweat and tears of thousands of migrant workers from Asia and Africa. Some reports put the death toll of migrant workers who built the eight stadiums (along with a new airport, metro system and associated infrastructure) at 6500. Qatari authorities say 37 died.
