Shortly before Australia unexpectedly beat Denmark in a compelling match, a Qatari official was asked about migrant worker deaths in the lead-up to the World Cup. It was admitted that between 400 and 500 may have died working on infrastructure projects during that period. The actual figure could be far higher and may never be known. Notoriously, the Qatari authorities have not bothered to do the work necessary to come up with an exact number.
This Sunday, with a memorable France v Argentina final in prospect, those workers and their families need to be remembered too. Fifa, football’s governing body, continues to ignore calls for a dedicated compensation fund for the migrants killed or injured in Qatar. It should think again. There is still time to make some partial amends for the mistake made in 2010 when – after a deeply suspect bidding process – Fifa awarded the World Cup to a super-rich oil state with a poor human rights record and draconian anti-gay laws.
