Amid the scrutiny of Qatar over their human rights record, the treatment of migrant workers and its oppresssive LGBTQ+ laws, its football team has quietly flown under the radar ahead of the most controversial World Cup in history. That will not be the case for much longer, as Qatar faces up to the reality of becoming the first country to make its debut at a World Cup as hosts, and following 12 years of preparation for the very moment of opening the tournament against Ecuador.
Has the host country of the World Cup ever had more attention, while receiving so little for its team? Perhaps Russia four years ago also came into the World Cup with more of a focus on off-field concerns, only to surprise everyone by reaching the quarter-finals. Qatar, meanwhile, cannot possibly begin to imagine such a tournament. For the country ranked 50th in the world, a single victory in Group A would constitute a success, even an entirely sports-washed one.
