World Cup 2022: Qatar's hurried
buildup to a contentious
football competition
The name and emblem of Denmark's sponsor, the sportswear company Hummel, will be hidden on their uniforms when they compete in the men's Fifa World Cup this winter in Qatar. Hummel referred to one of the strips as being entirely black since it is the "color of sadness."
The corporation defended the peculiar design by specifically mentioning the fatalities of migrant construction workers in Qatar and the state's hotly debated human rights record. We don't want to be noticeable during a tournament that has claimed thousands of lives, it was stated on social media.
We fully support the Danish national team, but it isn't the same as supporting Qatar as the host country, the statement continued.
The criticism of Qatar by Hummel is not the first, and there will be more as the tournament draws near. Eric Cantona, a former great for Manchester United, has declared he won't be watching the sport, and some French communities have outlawed showing of games in public areas.
But Qatar's response to Hummel's point of view appeared to indicate a change in strategy. The Qataris have a history of responding slowly to such concerns. But shortly after Hummel expressed their worries, the event's organizing organization had released a forceful statement.
In it, Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy asserted that the country has made major labor market reforms and added that other nations, including Denmark, should prioritize advancing human rights.
Such a forceful response was notable because it seemed to signal a change in the style, cadence, and speed of Qatari communications. Clearly, officials have been preparing for one of the most contentious World Cups in sports history, which will be followed by a period of intense scrutiny and agitation.
They have also been acquiring everything from Turkish drones and Italian frigates to Moroccan police officials and American surveillance technology in case the event is disrupted. We don't yet know how these resources will be used or if they're connected to the recent declaration that alcohol will be sold for up to 19 hours a day.
Qatar has also been putting logistics to the test. To demonstrate its level of readiness, it has hosted a number of high-profile, well-attended events, including the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019 and the FIFA Arab Cup in 2021. The two tournaments were held without any significant incidents. However, a recent test event at the Lusail Iconic Stadium—which will host the championship game on December 18—was less encouraging due to water shortages, problematic air conditioning, and the necessity of hour-long journeys inside the stadium in 35°C heat.
Before the opening match between Qatar and Ecuador in November, these challenges are not insurmountable. However, arranging such sporting events leaves little room for error. Following a Houthi drone assault in March, the F1 Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia almost had to be canceled, and in May, major problems with crowd control occurred during the Uefa Champions League Final in France.
Game on
Some estimate that over 1.2 million people will visit Qatar between November and December, which presents a significant difficulty.
This enormous inflow will put the nation's 3 million-person infrastructure, including its roads, public transportation, water supply, and sewage capacity, to the test. Some foreign workers have already been instructed to leave Qatar and return only when the competition is over. Schools, colleges, and institutions will be closed for the World Cup, while government employees have been instructed to work from home.
The Qatari government is already testing 700 World Cup-branded electric buses in anticipation of probable transportation problems and will restrict traffic from entering Doha on Fridays, which are frequently the busiest day of the week out of fear of congestion. Additionally, as I discovered during a visit to Doha in September, large portions of the city's streets are inaccessible with only a few weeks till the start of the event because the nation is tardily trying to update its water and sewerage infrastructure.
I was astounded by the extent of infrastructure advancement since my last visit to Qatar before the pandemic on that trip. The city appeared to be much quieter than it had been, which a cab driver explained to me was because the locals had been urged to either leave the nation or avoid the capital while final preparations were made.
Roads and a number of the locations where football fans are anticipated to congregate were still under construction in certain parts. Long hours and low pay are still problems for some of the migrant workers I spoke to. But virtually without exception, both they and others discussed how excited they were for the competition.
The Qatari government won't be concerned that many of them won't be able to afford match tickets. Its twelve years of World Cup preparation have been focused on aspirations of nation-building, soft power projection, and altering global perceptions.
There isn't much time left before the Doha government decides whether its significant gamble has paid off as it moves quickly through final preparations.
