Ever since the 2022 World Cup was awarded to Qatar by Fifa in 2010, there has been much talk about the human rights implications of the tournament. And for the past two years, the Socceroos – with the support of their union, Professional Footballers Australia – have been undertaking their own fact-finding to better understand the reality of the situation they might be entering if they qualified.
Briefings have been organised with many key bodies: Fifa and the local organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Development; Fifpro, the global player’s union; human rights group Amnesty International; and groups that advocate for workers in Qatar, including the International Trade Union Confederation and Building and Wood Workers’ International.
