Sixteen members of the Australian men’s team, which is in the group of France as well as Denmark and Tunisia, nicknamed the “Socceroos”, appeared in a short video explaining their position.
“For the past two years, we have devoted ourselves to understanding and getting to know the situation in Qatar better,” explain the players, taking turns speaking. “We are not experts but we have listened to organizations such as Amnesty (International), Fifa” and, “more importantly, foreign workers in Qatar”.
The video is accompanied by a statement from the Football Association of Australia. “We recognize the significant progress and legislative reforms that have taken place in Qatar in recent years to recognize and protect workers’ rights and we encourage all actors to continue on this path of reform,” writes the FFA.
“However, we have also learned that the tournament has been associated with the suffering of migrant workers and their families and this cannot be ignored.”
Football Australia has also urged the tiny gas emirate to show more tolerance for same-sex relationships, which are currently illegal in Qatar.
“As our country’s most multicultural, diverse and inclusive sport, we believe everyone should be able to feel safe and free to be themselves,” Football Australia said.
The captains of a number of European nations — including England, France and Germany — will wear rainbow armbands and the message “One Love” as part of the World Cup. of an LGBT anti-discrimination campaign.
The World Cup (20 November – 18 December 2022) has been marred by controversy since Fifa awarded the World Cup to Qatar in 2010.
– 50 workers died in 2020 –
The massive influx of foreign workers has enabled Qatar to prepare the necessary infrastructure for one of the biggest sporting events in the world. New roads, a new airport, a bespoke rail network and seven new stadiums had to be built.
According to Amnesty International, these migrant workers from Bangladesh, Nepal and India in particular received poverty wages and worked in extremely precarious conditions.
The International Labor Organization has counted fifty World Cup workers dead in 2020 and hundreds more injured.
The first Arab country to host the event is also being criticized for its treatment of women and air conditioning at seven of its eight stadiums.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called on Qatar and Fifa to create a compensation fund for workers who are victims of World Cup construction sites, endowed with 440 million dollars, the equivalent of the sports grants promised to the 32 selections aligned.
Qatar, for its part, claims to have carried out numerous reforms in recent years and its leader, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, rose up this week against “fabrications and double standards” in what he described as a “unprecedented campaign” of criticism since the country secured the World Cup.
