Why FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on Sunday, will be one of its kind

Qatar on yellow card with accusations of sportswashing, curbs on fan freedom; many high-profile players to retire

As Qatar takes on Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium in the inaugural match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Sunday, the uncertainty off the pitch has made more noise than the vuvuzelas in the 2010 edition of the tournament.

Football teams, sport stars, supporters, dignitaries and the media will head to Qatar for the sporting extravaganza, and the authorities have left no stone unturned to ensure it is one. This World Cup is touted to be the most expensive ever, with Qatar paying $220 billion to host it (see box). To put that in perspective, the 2006 World Cup in Germany cost $4.3 billion. Eight stadiums, seven of which are air-conditioned, the lawns around them and a new metro system have been constructed or refurbished.

The spotlight has also been on the conditions of workers in Qatar. According to conservative estimates by The Guardian, nearly 6,500 migrant workers are reported to have lost their lives in Qatar since it was awarded the World Cup in 2011. Multiple reports have emerged showing how labourers have died building these stadiums and facilities.

Yet, the majority of football fanatics around the globe might look past these to wait (even longer this time) for an ‘era-defining’ event. While some fans and players are angry about the tournament being squeezed in the middle of the season, others are excited about seeing two of the arguably greatest-ever footballers – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – go all guns blazing one last time on the world stage (see tables). 

While some players are basking in the glory of playing a World Cup, the tournament will also see a few big misses. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who has made all the right noises since making his debut, will not participate as Norway didn’t make it to the finals. Players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez and James Rodriguez will also miss the flight to Qatar.  

Several fans are even upset about their favourite teams not making it to the tournament. European champions Italy failed to make the grade for the second successive time, losing to North Macedonia in the qualifiers, while South American heavyweights Columbia and Chile, who are known for being dark horses and punching above their weight, too, failed to qualify.

End of an era

The World Cup may turn bitter-sweet for many fans who have keenly followed the careers of Messi and Ronaldo. The Argentinean has all but confirmed that this is his last World Cup, while Ronaldo’s form at club level this season has led many to question if he can continue for long.

Messi is Argentina’s captain, and at 35, remains hopeful of lifting the World Cup. Winning the Copa America reduced the burden of not winning a trophy for his national side, and he is going into the World Cup rediscovering some of the form that made him win seven Ballon D’Ors.

Meanwhile, Portuguese football has become synonymous with Ronaldo.  For all the talk of his dwindling club form, Portugal’s fate continues to be tied to Ronaldo’s and the Lisbon-born star will look to make his swansong count.

A number of other stars may bow out after the World Cup, too. Luis Suarez, who became famous (and infamous) during the previous editions of the tournament may retire after this one. This may also be the last time people will see his strike partner, Edinson Cavani. Croatia’s Luka Modric, Brazil’s Dani Alves, and Germany’s Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller may also bid farewell to the game after the tournament.

Fresh beginnings

The tournament will also see some of the brightest talent lighting up the pitch for the first time. Spain has dropped some of its most experienced players to include the winners of the last two years’ Best Young Player award — Pedri and Gavi. While Pedri was one of the stars at last year’s Euros, Gavi has emerged as another mercurial talent who has waltzed his way into the Spain side along with his teenage compatriot from Barcelona.

Barcelona’s rivals, Real Madrid, have two young stars of their own — Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, who will represent Brazil. They have come into their own over the past 18 months, dribbling their way to help Madrid win the Champions League and La Liga.

England has Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in its ranks, who, despite their age, have considerable experience. Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Youssoufa Moukoko, having only made their names in the past six months, will look to make sure that Germany avoids a repeat of 2018.

Canada’s Alphonso Davies, Costa Rica’s Jewison Bennette, Japan’s Takefusa Kubo, and France’s Aurelien Tchouameni are some of the young guns looking to make their names like a certain Michael Owen did in 1998 or a child-faced Brazilian known as Pele did in 1958.

Qatar’s own goal

As mentioned earlier, the conditions of construction workers in Qatar have drawn significant criticism from across the globe. Doha has also been accused of bribery by the workers. A report in The Guardian stated that “workers are driven 40 minutes away from the construction site, and dropped off at a farm. Three to four workers are made to sleep on one bed while five to six share bunk beds”.

These workers – many from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh – have also accused the authorities in their respective countries of forcing them to pay illegal fees to secure these jobs. According to a report in The Indian Express, there have been instances where the families of the workers who died on duty have had to pay a huge sum to bring the bodies back.

Amnesty International has called on FIFA to introduce a $440-million fund to compensate the allegedly abused workers.

A question of freedom

One of the many firsts for the Qatar World Cup is the apprehension among fans attending the event. The shift from its usual calendar, entry restrictions, exorbitant prices, and the repression of the LGBTQ+ community are concerns that have been aired. Restriction on alcohol consumption is a major issue, though Doha has designated specific zones for people to buy and consume alcohol.

The World Cup has also posed some questions for the residents, a majority of whom are Muslim. Many have left the country and expressed apprehension over the prospect of daytime drinking coinciding with their prayers. Offices across Qatar have largely shifted to work-from-home, while schools have been shut for the period. Meanwhile, the government, with little history of dealing with fan misbehaviour, has pledged to keep visitors in check, including by deploying a multinational security force, with police from Jordan, Turkey, and Morocco roped in. 

In order to quell the possibility of a ruckus, Budweiser was last week told to relocate some of its stalls that were supposed to sell beer outside the stadiums as the authorities in Doha didn’t want to make alcohol prominent.

Mid-season blues

The World Cup has also drawn considerable criticism due to its timing. The tournament has been squeezed in the middle of the season to account for the unplayable temperature in Qatar during its traditional July slot. Having a tournament of such magnitude has had its impact on a number of players, with some of the finest missing out.

France will not be able to call on Paul Pogba, N’ Golo Kante and Lucas Hernandez, while Portugal doesn’t have Diogo Jota in its ranks. A number of players like Argentina’s Paulo Dybala and Uruguay’s Ronald Araujo have been included despite picking up knocks and not playing for a majority of the season.

The players don’t even have the three-four week firewall they normally do for an international tournament, with most of them playing their respective league games a week before the tournament kicks off. Even in Qatar, the games have been squeezed into only 29 days, with some teams like Brazil and Portugal (assuming they go into the final) playing seven games in 25 days.

Messi at the World Cup

World Cup	Appearances	Goals
2006	3	1
2010	5	0
2014	7	4
2018	4	1

Ronald at the World Cup

World Cup	Appearances	2006
2006	6	1
2010	4	1
2014	3	1
2018	4	4

 

World Cup in numbers

$200 bn: Amount Qatar reportedly spent to get World Cup ready (Russia had spent $11 bn in 2018)

3: Official number of worker deaths in World Cup preparations, according to Qataris and Infantino

6,500: Migrant worker deaths in Qatar since it was awarded World Cup in 2011 (The Guardian)

100,000: Minimum number of migrant workers who were exploited/suffered abuse because of lax labour laws (Amnesty International)

$1,300-3,000: Amount reportedly paid as recruitment fee by some migrant workers from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and elsewhere seeking work in Qatar

$17 bn: Qatar’s estimated revenue from World Cup

3 mn: Tickets sold

2.8 mn: Qatar’s population

1.2 mn: World Cup visitors (Qatar’s estimates)

5 bn: Total number of World Cup viewers (FIFA’s estimates)

$1 bn: Rights fees Fox Sports and Telemundo paid to broadcast/stream 2018 & 2022 World Cup