Qatar World Cup 2022: learn more about the host nation

It caused a great deal of conversation when Qatar was announced as the host nation of the 2022 World Cup and it has seen plenty of controversies since. Not known for being a footballing nation, the Qatar team are currently credited as the 50th-best team in the world by FIFA.

For those not familiar with Qatar, it is located in Western Asia and was formerly under the protection of Britain before it gained independence in 1971. It has become an incredibly rich nation due to the vast natural resources that it exports. It clinched the rights to hold the World Cup in 2010.

That's when the controversy started as it was alleged that FIFA officials had taken bribes from Qatar for it to happen, which were later cleared. However, that has not stopped claims of bribery from persisting. The country has a population of 2.9 million people and has built seven new stadiums specifically for the tournament.

Human rights are a big issue in Qatar as homosexuality is cruelly punished, sometimes even with the death penalty. Their culture is vastly different to Western values, alcohol is restricted in certain places, swearing is frowned upon and it is suggested that people dress modestly. Public intimacy will also lead to arrest.

There has also been controversy over the conditions for migrant workers who have been working on construction for the new tournament. It was revealed by The Guardian in 2021 that 6500 workers had died since the World Cup was awarded. As well as building new stadiums, they have been constructing much more in anticipation for the tournament.

More than 100 hotels, a new metro system and new roads have been constructed for an expected influx of football fans from across the world. The reason that the World Cup in Qatar is happening in the middle of the season is because the average temperature would be over 40 degrees. It will be at least ten degrees lower during the tournament which will help to prevent exhaustion. 

It is one of the most widely-discussed choices of a World Cup tournament in the competition's history and not necessarily for the right reasons. The culture in Qatar is vastly different to our own and fans will be expected to respect the laws of the host nation during their time abroad.

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Header image credit: FIFA World Cup 2022- Qatar (Facebook)