Less than a month out from the FIFA World Cup, the Socceroos have released a video calling on Qatar to decriminalise same-sex relationships and establish a migrant resource centre as a legacy of the tournament.
Working with the PFA (players association), in collaboration with Football Australia, members of the senior men's team have engaged with a range of stakeholders to understand the human rights landscape more fully in the host nation, including through discussions with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Amnesty International, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, and meeting with a group of migrant workers.
For the video, players took turns recording a sentence each, with them edited together for the three-and-a-half-minute message.
"There are universal values that should define football — values such as respect, dignity, trust and courage. When we represent our nation, we aspire to embody these values," goalkeeper Mat Ryan says.
"As PFA members, we understand the power of collective bargaining and the fundamental rights of all workers to form and join a union," Danny Vukovic continues.
Next comes Andrew Redmayne: "Before players had won these rights, their careers in Australia were characterised by the absence of respect and dignity."
And Mat Leckie: "It is for these reasons we must speak about the situation in Qatar."
The Socceroos go on to describe the journey they have been on in the past two years — not just to qualify for the FIFA World Cup but to understand the challenges faced by those who have made the event possible.
"We are not experts, but we have listened to groups such as Amnesty, FIFA, the Supreme Committee, the International Labour Organisation, FIFPRO and most importantly the migrant workers based in Qatar," Mitch Duke says, before more teammates continue.
"We have learned there has been progress made both on paper and in practice. The kafala system (sponsorship of migrant workers) has largely been dismantled, working conditions have improved and a minimum wage has been established.
"Whilst the reforms established in Qatar are an important and welcomed step, their implementation remains inconsistent and requires improvement.
"We have learned that the decision to host the World Cup in Qatar has resulted in suffering and harm for countless of our fellow workers.
"As players, we fully support the rights of the LGBTI+ people, but in Qatar people are not free to love the person they choose. Addressing these issues is not easy and we don't have all the answers.
"This must include establishing a migrants' resource centre, effective remedy for those who have been denied their rights and the decriminalisation of all same-sex relationships.
"These are basic rights that should be afforded to all and will ensure continued progress in Qatar. This is how we can ensure a legacy that goes well beyond the final whistle of the 2022 FIFA World Cup."
Football Australia also issued a statement acknowledging "significant progress and legislative reforms" in Qatar, but said it hoped the assurances given by Qatar's Emir, HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, guaranteeing the safety of LGBTQI+ people would continue beyond the tournament.
