Buildup thread: FIFA 2022 World Cup to take place between November 21 - December 18 in Qatar

[KingKhanWC]

Haha I meant in terms of 'alive and kicking'

Inshallah you will be alive and kicking lol. It's a reasonable expectation

Oh my bad. Thanks bro. lol

Hopefully we will see a lot more England fans in Qatar than we did in Russia.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I think the major issue here is human rights being abused due to the process of holding this World Cup, itself.

The stadiums are being worked on etc. as Qatar has been approved to host the 2022 World Cup and the abuses are being done in the process of the preparation.

This isn't anything new?

If you was to look back into all the major sporting events including the Olympics in China, World Cup in Brazil, you will find people died in getting the event ready. So why Qatar now?

 

[Abdullah719]

This isn't anything new?

If you was to look back into all the major sporting events including the Olympics in China, World Cup in Brazil, you will find people died in getting the event ready. So why Qatar now?

There were plenty of stories and criticisms about both the events you've mentioned as well.

 

[KingKhanWC]

There were plenty of stories and criticisms about both the events you've mentioned as well.

No to this extent. Qatar has denied these reports. Not that I believe them but why I should I believe the other side?

Again I come back to my earlier point. Qatar#s bad working conditions caused 2000 to die is worse than bombing and destroying multiple nations? I dont understand the logic here.

 

[Abdullah719]

No to this extent. Qatar has denied these reports. Not that I believe them but why I should I believe the other side?

Again I come back to my earlier point. Qatar#s bad working conditions caused 2000 to die is worse than bombing and destroying multiple nations? I dont understand the logic here.

Not arguing for or against any point here, was just pointing out the thought process.

Don't have enough knowledge (or interest) in the topic to be able to take up a conclusive position.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Not arguing for or against any point here, was just pointing out the thought process.

Don't have enough knowledge (or interest) in the topic to be able to take up a conclusive position.

Fair enough bro.

I just personally feel, sports and politics shouldn't mix. I would have loved England to win the bid but Russia did. There was also a lot of criticism against them due to human rights etc but they put on arguably the best world cup of all time. Qatar has it now, so fans should travel there and enjoy it.

 

[TheLastGreatMan]

World Cup 2022: Qatar bid team accused of secret campaign to sabotage rivals

The Qatar 2022 World Cup bid team ran a secret campaign in 2010 to sabotage competing host bids, according to a report published by the Sunday Times.

The paper claims to have seen leaked documents that show the Qatari bid team employed a US PR firm and ex-CIA agents to smear its rivals - mainly the United States and Australia.

Such a campaign alleged by the Sunday Times would have broken Fifa's bidding rules.

Fifa's rules say World Cup bidders should not make "any written or oral statements of any kind, whether adverse or otherwise, about the bids or candidatures of any other member association".

Some of the alleged aspects of the smear campaign:

A respected academic was paid $9,000 to write a negative report on the huge economic cost of an American World Cup, which was then distributed to news media around the world.

Journalists, bloggers and high-profile figures were recruited in each country to hype up negative aspects of their respective bids.

A group of American physical education teachers were recruited to ask their US Congressmen to oppose a US World Cup on the grounds that the money would be better used on high school sports.

Grassroots protests were organised at rugby games in Australia opposing the country's bid.

Intelligence reports were compiled on individuals involved in rival bids.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44994041

 

[shortbread]

The multi-million campaign to strip Qatar of World Cup 2022 !

A multi-million-pound marketing campaign attempted to have Qatar stripped of the 2022 World Cup and England host the tournament *instead, i can reveal. The strategy – masterminded by self-styled Qatari opposition leader and exile, Khalid Al-Hail – included two lavish London conferences with politicians paid up to £15,000 to *attend, research studies, vox pop videos and advertisements all attacking the tiny Gulf state. It included billboards at prime London locations, including one last month which showed a picture of the Union flag and a football with the words “UK 2022. Why Not?”

This appeared at the same time as a story, published in the Sunday Times, claiming that Qatar had run a “black ops” campaign against its rivals for the bid in 2010, against Fifa rules.

The article contained a call from Lord Triesman, former chairman of the Football Association, suggesting that England could host the 2022 World Cup if Qatar were to be stripped of the tournament. Lord Triesman, who was chairman of England’s rival bid in 2010, said: “If Qatar is shown to have broken Fifa rules, then they can’t hold on to the World Cup. “I think it would not be wrong for Fifa to reconsider England in those circumstances. We have the capabilities.” FA rebuke However three days after the story was published, FA chairman Greg Clarke issued a rebuke to the idea, saying: “Fifa has chosen Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup and they have a duty to investigate any issues around the process that are rightly thrown into question.

“Russia did a brilliant job hosting the 2018 World Cup and we support the rotation of World Cup hosting among the confederations. That would make the 2030 World Cup the next one a European nation might be able to host, and not before.” And in a slapdown of his predecessor, he added: “Anyone suggesting otherwise is acting disrespectfully to our global game and does not speak for the English FA.” Clarke’s words will have come as a huge letdown to Al-Hail, who has been leading the campaign to strip his former homeland of the World Cup.

Three-pronged strategy A document seen in his London office by public interest group Spinwatch set out a three-pronged strategy to launch a national petition questioning the legality of Qatar’s win, a country-wide marketing campaign on London’s buses and tube as well as a national poll to gauge public opinion. Talking about the proposed “daily short informative/entertaining videos” the document says: “The videos’ main objective is to engage the wider public and particularly football fans, human rights campaigners and ultimately decision makers to open up an honest debate about the legality of the tournament and possible alternative hosting countries.”

Last year Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt led a diplomatic and transport blockade of Qatar accusing the tiny Gulf state of cosying up to Iran and supporting terrorism, which Doha denies. Jealousy over Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup is said to be so strong that Dubai’s head of security, lieutenant general Dhahi Khalfan, claimed that if Doha lost the right to host the World Cup, the blockade would be lifted.

Anti-Qatar conference in London Last September Al-Hail organised an anti-Qatar conference at London’s Intercontinental Hotel which attracted leading political figures and commentators. Daniel Kawcynski MP, a Saudi supporter, was handed £15,000 to attend, his payment arranged by a company called Akta Group, run by 32-year-old Tatiana Gisca, who is Khalid Al-Hail’s wife. Asked whether he had any concerns about claims that the ultimate source of funding might involve Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, Mr Kawczynski replied: “No.” In October came the first suggestion that Qatar would lose the World Cup, and England come to the rescue. A report by consultancy firm Cornerstone Global claimed the tournament would not go ahead in Qatar because of political instability caused by the Gulf blockade.

Ghanem Nuseibeh, a visiting professor at Kings College, London, who is also the cousin of the UAE ambassador to the UN, Lana Nuseibeh, said: “With it becoming increasingly unlikely Qatar will host Fifa 2022, England must prepare to host it, and move quickly.” ‘There’s still time’ In May, Akta Group helped organise another conference, attended by Damian Collins, MP, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee.

This time the conference was all about sport, and primarily Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup. Held on the eve of the 2018 tournament, the main message of the Foundation for Sports Integrity Conference (FFSI) was: “It may be too late to do anything about Russia, but there’s still time to stop the World Cup going ahead in Qatar.” Collins was a keynote speaker at the event, held at London’s Four Seasons Hotel in Tower Hill, and came up with a novel solution that would see England host the World Cup semi-finals and final should Qatar lose hosting rights. Collins told the audience: “If there’s evidence of corruption then the bid shouldn’t be allowed to stand… just because a few years have passed now that decision can still be made even at short notice.” Journalists pointed out that a conference which demanded transparency in Fifa should be told who was backing the FFSI event. But the organiser, Australian businessman Jaimie Fuller, said he was unable to reveal who that was because the person had requested anonymity.

‘Nothing under the table’ Human rights campaigner Nicholas McGeehan said his invitation to the event was withdrawn after he asked for assurances it was not “Gulf money”. “It just yells Saudi and UAE money,” he said afterwards. At the time, a spokesman for Collins told the Guardian that the MP appeared at the FFSI conference as a favour for Fuller. “Damian received no payment for speaking at the event, was not involved in its organisation and was invited by Jaimie Fuller who Damian has worked with for many years on the New Fifa Now campaign.”

In February, Al-Hail confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the payments to Kawczynski were made through his wife’s company. He said: “It was all through legitimate ways and ‘the parliamentary interest return’ can prove the declaration from any speaker I’ve secured. Nothing under [the] table as the Qatari government do always.”

For one what excatly do the saudi and emirati clowns gain by denying Qatar the World Cup? Are they so short sighted?! They have already dug themselves into multiple holes with conflicts all around their borders, do they need to be focusing on this now?

Secondly, would Lords and MPs dress up and attend anything as long as they are being paid? What difference is there then between them and the corrupt Asian politicians? Fancy getting these guys to dance at a family wedding for £5k a pop?!

The UK is preparing for all eventualities following Brexit and the last thing the country needs is the burden of hosting a World Cup. It's fortunate that Qatar got the bid rather than being indebted by this largesse!

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/...up-2022-england-campaign-khalid-al-hail-fifa/

 

[Abdullah719]

Qatar World Cup workers given 'cooling vests' to combat heat

Thousands of World Cup stadium workers in Qatar have been handed "cooling vests" to help them cope with building tournament venues in the desert country's extreme temperatures.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar's World Cup organisers, said the "state-of-the-art" vests can reduce the wearer's body temperatures by up to 15 degrees Celsius.

"The cooling vest has the potential to transform the lives of our workers," said Mahmoud Qutub, a workers' welfare executive with the committee, in a statement posted on its website.

They have been developed in conjunction with a British-based cooling technology company, TechNiche.

The dayglo vests work after being submerged in water.

The water is then soaked up by a polymer fibre within the vest, said the committee.

As the water evaporates airflows built into the vest cool down the wearer.

The fabric "holds the water layer for slow evaporation over several hours, delivering constant cooling", read the statement.

Organisers say 3,500 vests have so far been given to workers such as steel fixers, carpenters and scaffolders.

Currently there are almost 26,000 workers helping build or refurbish Qatar's eight proposed stadiums.

Last year a study by Human Rights Watch claimed thousands of construction workers were being subjected to potentially life-threatening heat while toiling in fierce temperatures.

Thursday is the final day of summer working restrictions in Qatar, which saw labourers prevented from working outside from 11:30 am to 3 pm from June 15.

Although that restriction ends on September 1, forecasts for the first few days of next month estimate temperatures will be around the 40 degrees Celsius mark (104 fahrenheit).

When it surprisingly won the right to host the 2022 World Cup, Qatar initially was set to host the tournament during its summer.

It was shifted by FIFA to be played in November and December 2022, as a summer tournament in the Gulf was seen as unworkable, despite organisers promising air-conditioned stadiums.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/209343-qatar-world-cup-workers-given-cooling-vests-to-combat-heat

 

[Uzi]

Pretty good documentary by Gary Neville for Sky Sports on the World Cup in Qatar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOInEf0yCEc

 

[KingKhanWC]

Pretty good documentary by Gary Neville for Sky Sports on the World Cup in Qatar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOInEf0yCEc

Havent watched this but from the summary it seems its to criticise Qatar. No British or European can hold the moral high ground against another nation when it comes to human rights abuses.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Pretty good documentary by Gary Neville for Sky Sports on the World Cup in Qatar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOInEf0yCEc

Having watched this the Qataris gave excellent answers to some of the strange questions posed by Neville.

This could possibly be the best quality football played in any world cup in history! I will have to go to this world cup for sure.

 

[TSA321]

Gary Neville In Qatar | Full Documentary about Qatar's World Cup

 

[Slog]

Having watched this the Qataris gave excellent answers to some of the strange questions posed by Neville.

This could possibly be the best quality football played in any world cup in history! I will have to go to this world cup for sure.

What are you basing this best quality football comment on? Literally there’s no way to predict that right now

 

[Slog]

Havent watched this but from the summary it seems its to criticise Qatar. No British or European can hold the moral high ground against another nation when it comes to human rights abuses.

There IS a human rights issue there and poor south Asian are bearing the consequences. That is a fact. People have died

Another fact is that there was corruption to award them the tournament hosting rights

If those aren’t major concerns for an individual then that is fine.

 

[big_gamer007]

So it will be held in November/December? What will happen to the leagues? Anyone knows?

 

[Uzi]

What are you basing this best quality football comment on? Literally there’s no way to predict that right now

I believe it is because the teams will only need to stay in the one hotel for the duration of the world cup without the need to move from hotel to hotel. Due to the close proximity of all the stadiums in such a small country, the players will hardly need to travel.

I guess we will have to wait and see whether that leads to the best quality of football.

 

[Uzi]

So it will be held in November/December? What will happen to the leagues? Anyone knows?

The leagues will pause about 10 days or so before the world cup starts and then they will restart about 8 days after the world cup final as far as I am aware.

21 Nov to 18 Dec is when the world cup will take place.

 

[Realromeo]

All these agents that exploit these migrant workers are Indian, Pakistanis, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshis themselves. Scums of the earth screwing their own kind. No point in blaming Qataris.

 

[KingKhanWC]

What are you basing this best quality football comment on? Literally there’s no way to predict that right now

Yes there is. Footballers playing in tournaments will perform at their peak/maximum if have the best conditions. No World Cup in history has the facilities and ease for the players as this world cup will have.
In Brazil teams had to play a match in one location, then fly hours to some other location which was totally different i.e high altitude along with ok facilities, nothing special. If players are at 80% they will only deliver 80% of their quality. Plenty of footballers have seen the plans for Qatar and have said the same.

There IS a human rights issue there and poor south Asian are bearing the consequences. That is a fact. People have died

Another fact is that there was corruption to award them the tournament hosting rights

If those aren’t major concerns for an individual then that is fine.

Watch the docu, the Qataris have addressed all these questions with answers which are refutable.

Only a handful of workers have died while on site and there is no proof to suggest otherwise.

FIFA have been investigated, Blatter, Plantini all of them. Evidence emerged of Russian corruption but not Qatari, besides it was the best bid by far.

Every country has elements of corruption esp the western nations and when it comes to human rights, it's laughable. Yanks are holding babies in steel cages, I could go on but id be writing until 2020.

 

[Mamoon]

There is more to the human rights violation than what the Qataris show but it obviously isn’t as bad as what the media suggests. The 4,000 deaths figure is obviously rubbish.

I watched the documentary and I think the living conditions of the workers are quite reasonable. Yes the rooms are small but else do we expect? The Qatar government cannot lend them luxury apartments to live in.

One thing that has really shocked me is the fact that they are going to dismantle the stadiums after the World Cup is over.

Basically they are building world class modern stadiums for one tournament and will then tear it down. It is a massive shame.

Unfortunately, the local population is not big enough for the Qatari league teams to take over the magnificent stadiums. They are going to end up losing a lot of money.

I think it is going to be a great World Cup and it is especially convenient for the players because they will not be traveling long distances and will be staying in the same hotel. Fatigue will probably not be a big issue.

It is also convenient for the fans but traveling around Doha will be a challenge. Qatar is not big enough to accommodate so many people. However, you can be sure that they will be in control of the security situation.

You cannot get away with crime in Qatar anyway, and the security officials will be on high alert during the World Cup.

A lot of the skepticism surrounding the World Cup is proving to be irrational.

 

[KingKhanWC]

There is more to the human rights violation than what the Qataris show but it obviously isn’t as bad as what the media suggests. The 4,000 deaths figure is obviously rubbish.

I watched the documentary and I think the living conditions of the workers are quite reasonable. Yes the rooms are small but else do we expect? The Qatar government cannot lend them luxury apartments to live in.

One thing that has really shocked me is the fact that they are going to dismantle the stadiums after the World Cup is over.

Basically they are building world class modern stadiums for one tournament and will then tear it down. It is a massive shame.

Unfortunately, the local population is not big enough for the Qatari league teams to take over the magnificent stadiums. They are going to end up losing a lot of money.

I think it is going to be a great World Cup and it is especially convenient for the players because they will not be traveling long distances and will be staying in the same hotel. Fatigue will probably not be a big issue.

It is also convenient for the fans but traveling around Doha will be a challenge. Qatar is not big enough to accommodate so many people. However, you can be sure that they will be in control of the security situation.

You cannot get away with crime in Qatar anyway, and the security officials will be on high alert during the World Cup.

A lot of the skepticism surrounding the World Cup is proving to be irrational.

They will be sent around the world to developing nations. Its a great thing to do.

 

[Varun]

Having watched this the Qataris gave excellent answers to some of the strange questions posed by Neville.

This could possibly be the best quality football played in any world cup in history! I will have to go to this world cup for sure.

Lol. Not too far from another thread reporting a recent event in Austria where you piped in with "Hitler was born in Austria so the place must suck" type comment.

 

[Slog]

Watch the docu, the Qataris have addressed all these questions with answers which are refutable.

Only a handful of workers have died while on site and there is no proof to suggest otherwise.

FIFA have been investigated, Blatter, Plantini all of them. Evidence emerged of Russian corruption but not Qatari, besides it was the best bid by far.

Every country has elements of corruption esp the western nations and when it comes to human rights, it's laughable. Yanks are holding babies in steel cages, I could go on but id be writing until 2020.

The Qataris have addressed the questions but not convincingly at all.

Also just because a western country has elements of human right violations doesn’t mean it’s fine if Qatar does. Besides Qatar’s human rights violation are related to football whereas for others it’s not. That’s the problem.

The simple reason is that you support this abomination only because Qatar is Muslim. No other reason.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Lol. Not too far from another thread reporting a recent event in Austria where you piped in with "Hitler was born in Austria so the place must suck" type comment.

Too much non-veg, you're confusing me with someone else. lol

The Qataris have addressed the questions but not convincingly at all.

Also just because a western country has elements of human right violations doesn’t mean it’s fine if Qatar does. Besides Qatar’s human rights violation are related to football whereas for others it’s not. That’s the problem.

The simple reason is that you support this abomination only because Qatar is Muslim. No other reason.

What have they said which wasn't convincing for you? Elements? lol. Americans are the worst human rights abusers in history.

Again 3 people died on site while working. These people were not bought in chained on ships as the blacks were to America, they are free to come and work, given free accommodation and even are having their agent fees refunded. Unless you can come with a strong argument ,this is wasting my time.

No because unlike you I am a football supporter, I go the matches around the world. Qatari bid was the best by far for fans and the players along with world class stadiums. You don't go to watch football or play it so don't understand the sport from a fans or players view.

 

[MenInG]

Funnily enough it is this World Cup which may bring unity to the Gulf States (love of the game!), so its not a bad thing for this region.

 

[MenInG]

The 2022 World Cup will take place on time despite the knock on from the coronavirus pandemic, the host state Qatar has pledged.

Qatar's foreign minister said the designs of the stadiums, which are nearly 90% complete, will comply with any changes to health and safety guidance as a result of COVID-19 and that consultations with the organising committee are ongoing.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Sky News: "We believe that Qatar is working very closely and strongly with different healthcare organisations to make sure to deliver a healthy and safe World Cup and believe that this is part of the cure for the world to be back together in a happy manner.

"There is an ongoing exercise with the organising committee, with different stakeholders, to make sure that all the health and safety standards are applied in all our stadiums, so it's still something ongoing.

"Once it's clear for all of us, I'm sure that we are going to put it out to the public."

Qatar has suffered an unusually high number of coronavirus infections given its small population but has managed to keep the death rate low.

The Gulf nation, with a population of 2.8 million, has recorded 65,000 cases to date but has suffered only 49 deaths.

It has put in place a rigorous test and trace system, criticised by some as being too intrusive.

The Emir of Qatar took part in Thursday's vaccine conference hosted by Boris Johnson, where the Gulf nation pledged $20m (£15.5m) to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Sheikh Mohammed revealed.

Asked if the absence of a global strategy to counter the coronavirus represented a global failure, the foreign minister said better collaboration was key.

"Without collaboration and exchange of experience and dialogue we believe we cannot adopt and learn from each other," he said.

"So we believe that despite the discussion we are seeing about a nationalist approach, it should represent for us a stimulation to enhance and improve our international cooperation and to work together."

Spoiler

The United States recently chose to cut funding for the World Health Organisation citing perceived failings by the body to adequately deal with the virus.

Sheikh Mohammed said: "We believe that [Thursday's] conference is also a representation of different countries commitment for multilateralism and we believe it's important to look at the reform of these organisations.

"But it's more important to preserve them and to make sure that they are working effectively respond to the challenges that our countries are facing."

Away from COVID-19, this week marks the third anniversary of the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar.

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt led a regional blockade by severing diplomatic relations with Qatar.

The blockading nations cut trade, travel and diplomacy with the Gulf state, accusing Qatar of being too close to Iran and of supporting terrorism because of its ideological ties to the Islamist organisation, the Muslim Brotherhood.

The anti-Qatar quartet, as they are known, also called for the Qatari news channel Al Jazeera to be closed down.

"This crisis has been manufactured from the beginning and we still didn't see any acknowledgement by the blockading states that this crisis is manufactured," the minister said.

"We hope that one day that everyone realises that there are more regional and global challenges facing together that makes us in need to talk to each other and to support each other and to stand with each other.

"COVID-19 represented one of the recent changes that not only our country is facing but also the entire world is facing," he said.

Focusing on security in a region with numerous tensions, the foreign minister also revealed that:

In a number of areas, Qatar has positioned itself as a potential regional broker.

It hosts the largest regional US airbase at Al Udeid and yet maintains close ties with Iran.

The Qatari capital Doha was also chosen as the location for an office for Taliban officials in an effort to broker peace between the Taliban, the Afghan government and the United States.

And despite providing support ideologically, politically and financially for Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, Qatar maintains trade ties with Israel.

With a direct warning to Israel over its West Bank annexation plans, Sheikh Mohammed said: "We hope that these threats of taking the decision of annexation are not real because we believe it's going to represent as the last bullet in the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians and we want them to come back to the table and directly engage face to face.

"Unfortunately, the Israeli behaviour showed us year after year they were not serious about peace but they are just trying to make relationship with Arab countries, neglecting the rights of the Palestinian people."

On regional tensions with Iran, Qatar's foreign minister said the situation remains "very dangerous" following the assassination, in January, of Iranian General Qassim Soleimani by an American drone.

"It was a bottleneck period and we went through it safely but we are still in a very dangerous situation and we want to see a final resolution between Iran and United States and Iran and the other [Gulf] countries," he said.

"If we are asked and accepted by both parties we will be willing to help but we are prepared to work together with other countries and helping them in order to deescalate the situation and calm down the situation."

On the relationship between Qatar and Iran, he said: "In a time of need, you need your friends to stand with you and Iran proved that they stood with us and with the Qatari people [during the Saudi-led blockade].

"And this, despite the disagreements in policies that we have with Iran and we have disagreements for a long time: in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen.

"If you look at the policies of Iran and Qatar it's been totally different."

Last month, sources in Israel claimed Iran is now reducing its forces in Syria and clearing out bases, reducing its influence in the country and support for Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

Pressed on that claim, Sheikh Mohammed hinted of changes on the ground: "We have been talking to them [Iran] in order to make sure that they are not supporting him [Syrian President Assad] and we hope that this progress, these steps on the ground, will help in bringing justice to the Syrian people and prosecute the real criminal behind it which is the current president of Syria."

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-qatar-promises-2022-world-cup-will-go-ahead-12001433

 

[cric_craze]

Simulated the tournament on Football Manager with France becoming champions again beating Germany 3-0 in the final. England won third place match against Austria.

 

[MenInG]

Organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar said they have banned a company from working on projects related to the football event as Amnesty International said migrant workers at the firm went unpaid for months.

About 100 employees of a Qatari subcontractor, Qatar Meta Coats (QMC), who were contracted for facade work on the Al Bayt Stadium, went up to seven months without pay and continue to be owed some salaries, Amnesty said on Friday.

QMC has also not renewed residency permits for most of its workers, necessary for foreigners working in Qatar, the rights group added.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the tournament's Qatari organiser, said it learned about the unpaid salaries last year and engaged with QMC and other stakeholders, resulting in three months worth of salaries being paid. The committee said owed wages continued to be paid.

QMC was in February taken off the stadium project in and banned from working on World Cup projects until further notice, it said.

"Since construction began in 2014, we have made significant progress and achievements in the area of workers' welfare. There will always be challenges to address and we are committed to overcoming them," the committee said in a statement.

The committee said it was "unacceptable" for workers to suffer hardship and that it was fully committed to the ethical treatment of workers.

Qatar's government communication office said QMC had been financially sanctioned and its operations suspended until all outstanding salaries were paid.

The company has since been sold and actions by the new owners to rectify "the neglect of the previous owner", including renewing residency permits and health insurance, are being overseen by the labour ministry.

"The State of Qatar does not tolerate the unscrupulous treatment of workers," it said.

Steven Cockburn, Amnesty's head of economic and social justice said: "Although recent payments will provide some welcome relief for workers, Qatar's World Cup organisers told us they had known about the salary delays since July 2019.

"This raises the question of why Qatar allowed workers to continue working for months without pay," he added.

Amnesty accused FIFA of failing to take human rights abuses linked to the 2022 World Cup seriously.

FIFA told Amnesty it contacted the Qatari authorities once it became aware of the investigation, and is now working to ensure that outstanding payments are made.

 

[MenInG]

FIFA have confirmed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will start November 21 with the final taking place December 18

 

[MenInG]

Four matches will be played each day during the group stage of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, FIFA has announced.

The group games will be played over a 12-day period, with matches not being assigned to particular venues until after the finals draw in March 2022 in order to choose optimal kick-off times to suit television audiences in different countries as well as supporters out in Qatar.

Kick-off times for the first two rounds of matches will be 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm local time, and with the stadiums all within a 40-mile radius of each other it will enable supporters and media to realistically attend two games on the same day.

For all but three games there will be a three-day rest period in between. There will also be no need for teams, supporters or media to spend time flying or taking long rail or road journeys between matches.

Kick-off times in the final round of group games and knock-out round matches will be at 6pm and 10pm local time.

The tournament’s opening match will be played at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor on Monday, November 21 in a match which will feature the host country.

The 2022 final venue is the Lusail Stadium in Doha, with the showpiece game to be played on Sunday, December 18.

A start date has not yet been fixed for the European section of World Cup qualification. The announcement comes two years to the day since the 2018 World Cup final.

Meanwhile, a report to the UN Security Council has highlighted the continued existence of “structural racial discrimination against non-nationals” in the country’s construction sector.

Around two million migrant workers are involved in helping to build World Cup venues and other tournament-related infrastructure.

The local organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, employ around four per cent of construction workers in the country and were commended by the report’s author on the measures and safeguards they had implemented in relation to timely and reliable payments and living conditions.

However, workers’ representatives still called for there to be non-discriminatory minimum wage protections and more liberal immigration rules.

The Supreme Committee were praised for their work on safety, but the remaining 96 per cent of the construction industry was deemed to have failed to reach the required standard, and the report called on the national government to take urgent action.

The UN’s special rapporteur for racism, Tendayi Achiume, who wrote the report, said a “de facto caste system” existed in the country “according to which European, North American, Australian and Arab nationalities systematically enjoy greater human rights protections than South Asian and sub-Saharan African nationalities”.

FIFA said in a statement: “Ms Achiume, who visited a stadium construction site in November 2019, characterises these measures as ‘impressive changes’ and ‘sweeping reforms’ implemented for FIFA World Cup workers and calls for these heightened standards to be expanded to benefit all workers in the country.

“FIFA supports that recommendation and is working with its partners to expand the systems developed for construction workers to other sectors directly linked to the FWC 2022 tournament as the preparation for the event advances.

“FIFA will continue to work with its partner the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and other entities in Qatar and worldwide to further promote a positive human rights and environmental legacy of the event.

“These efforts include, besides the protection of workers’ rights, and innovative environmental solutions, a strong commitment to an inclusive tournament experience for all and a firm stance against discrimination of any kind.”

https://www.bt.com/sport/news/2022-qatar-world-cup-group-stages-to-have-four-matches-a-day

 

[MenInG]

FIFA World Cup™ match schedule confirmed: hosts Qatar to kick off 2022 tournament at Al Bayt Stadium

Final confirmed to take place at 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium at 18:00 on 18 December

Four matches a day throughout the group stage ensures optimal rest time for the teams

Qatar’s unique footprint allows later assignment of group matches for the benefit and comfort of fans
The iconic image of FIFA World Cup™ champions France lifting the trophy at Luzhniki Stadium is still fresh in the memory of every football fan. Exactly two years after that historic occasion on 15 July 2018, the unveiling of the match schedule for the next edition invites the football world to dream of a new beginning – one that, now, has a precise time and place to start.

Al Bayt Stadium, a 60,000-capacity arena that takes its name and shape from the traditional tents used by nomadic peoples in the Gulf region, will be the stage for hosts Qatar to kick off the tournament on Monday 21 November 2022 at 13:00 local time* (11:00 CET). The local kick-off times for group matches have been set for 13:00, 16:00, 19:00 and 22:00, with the simultaneous kick-offs for the last round of group games and knockout-stage timings being 18:00 and 22:00. Khalifa International Stadium will be the setting for the play-off for third place on 17 December. The final will kick off one day later at 18:00 at Lusail Stadium in front of an 80,000 crowd.

With the aim of providing all teams with optimal rest between their matches, the group stage will last 12 days and, with four matches per day, it promises a full and exciting schedule for fans. The tournament’s compact nature – with no air travel needed to move between the venues – will allow organisers, for the first time, to optimise specific match demands for the benefit and comfort of fans, teams and media.

This will be achieved through the assignment of the group fixtures for each matchday to a stadium and kick-off time only after the final draw, currently planned for after the March 2022 international match calendar qualifying window. Once the pairings are known, the possibility will be discussed of providing a more beneficial kick-off time for audiences at home, or indeed for fans in Qatar with regard to the stadium allocation.

That additional flexibility is possible without affecting any technical aspects since all stadiums are located within a compact radius and the climate is perfect at that time of year in Qatar, whether it is an early or a late kick-off. On top of that, this will potentially give fans the opportunity to attend more than one match a day during the group stage.

For those eager to book their seats at Qatar 2022, hospitality sales are scheduled to start in late 2020. Ticket sales for the general public will be conducted solely via FIFA.com/tickets, where details on the timeline, phases, categories and prices will be communicated in due course.

In the meantime, detailed information on the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for each confederation is available on FIFA.com. The latest updates in relation to the international match calendar in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here and here.

*All times mentioned are local. Arabia Standard Time (AST) is UTC/GMT+3 or CET+2. The final capacities of all FIFA World Cup stadiums during the event will be confirmed closer to the tournament.

Full Schedule

https://resources.fifa.com/image/up...hedule-x6962.pdf?cloudid=zh9sqqpotyf6jhqpv2uw


https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/...firmed-hosts-qatar-to-kick-off-2022-tournamen

 

[MenInG]

Qatar has expressed interest in bidding to host the 2032 Olympic Games, in what would be the first time a Middle Eastern nation organises the world's biggest sporting event.

The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) on Monday announced it formally submitted its request to join the non-committal "continuous dialogue" to host an edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games as early as 12 years from now.

Qatar delivered the request via a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"Never before has an Olympic Games been held in the Middle East. The Olympic rings are a symbol of peace, unity and hope for people around the world, including the people of our region," a QOC statement quoted President Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani as saying.

"Today's announcement marks the beginning of a meaningful dialogue with the IOC's Future Host Commission to explore our interest further and identify how the Olympic Games can support Qatar's long-term development goals," Al Thani added.

qatar olympic committee
Qatar hosted the IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2010 and the outdoor World Championships in 2019 [File/Hassan Ammar/AP]
Over the past decade, Qatar has undergone a rapid transformation as part of its National Vision 2030. The country has developed state-of-the-art sporting venues and transportation networks as it prepares to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup.

As part of the IOC's Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms, the IOC instituted a new approach to hosting future Olympic Games through the establishment of a permanent Future Host Commission.

The Commission's overarching goal is to ensure that future Games will align with the long-term development plans of host cities and regions, leaving lasting legacies.

"For many years, sport has been a major contributor to our nation's development," Al Thani said, adding: "From athletics to cycling, gymnastics to football, tennis to volleyball, Qatar has earned the reputation of a world-class destination for major sporting events.

"It is this proven track-record and wealth of experience, along with our desire to use sport to promote peace and cultural exchange that will form the basis of our discussions with the Commission."

Qatar unsuccessfully bid to host the 2016 and 2020 games.

Simon Chadwick, director of the Centre for the Eurasian Sport Industry, said he was not surprised by Qatar's interest and that the Gulf nation was "already ideally placed to bid for the hosting rights".

"Qatar has been an important event destination for sports and this is very much bound up in country strategy," he told Al Jazeera.

"Having failed in 2020 to attract the Olympics, I think it was inevitable that sooner or later we'd get another bid coming along," Chadwick added.

"You have to keep in mind Qatar will have the infrastructure in place and will be looking for a legacy from the hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2022."

India, Australia's Queensland state, the Chinese city of Shanghai and a potential joint bid between South and North Korea are also being touted for the 2032 games, according to AFP news agency.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...us-lockdown-live-updates-200726222443290.html

 

[MenInG]

KUALA LUMPUR: All Asian qualifying games for the 2022 World Cup scheduled this year were postponed to 2021 on Wednesday, adding to a global fixture backlog for football’s biggest competition caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation issued a joint statement saying the delay is to protect the health and safety of all participants from Covid-19. The games will be rescheduled in 2021.

“With the aim of protecting the health and safety of all participants, FIFA and the AFC will continue to work together to closely monitor the situation in the region and to identify new dates for the respective qualifying matches,” the statement said. “Further details on the new dates for the next round of qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and the AFC Asian Cup 2023 will be announced in due course.”

Each of 40 nations involved were due to play three or four rounds to complete the current phase of World Cup qualifying in Asia which now fell further behind schedule with no games played in 2020.

FIFA's global calendar of national-team games now has too few dates to complete the qualifying programme as originally planned after the latest round of postponements.

The slots in June 2022 protected for national-team games are fast becoming key to deciding the 32-nation World Cup lineup. Yet those dates are available only because of the disputed FIFA decision in 2015 to move the finals tournament to November and December to avoid Qatar’s searing summer heat.

Football governing bodies for Europe and South America already proposed changes to make space for more national-team games.

UEFA is adding a third game into traditional double-header weeks for national teams, ahead of losing dates for World Cup qualifiers in June 2021 when the postponed 2020 European Championship is played. However, this solution is more complicated for other continents with greater travel demands, including for Europe-based players.

South America’s CONMEBOL has yet to start its scheduled 18-round World Cup qualifying group and asked FIFA for an extra block of games in January 2022. That will likely be unpopular with European clubs if they are required to release players for additional weeks in what will already be a congested season.

Asia’s World Cup qualifiers are just one example of the havoc Covid-19 has caused in international sport.

The four rounds of games postponed Wednesday would have completed the second round of World Cup qualifying in Asia, that also feeds into teams advancing to the 2023 Asian Cup hosted by China.

The eight group winners and the four best runners-up advance to the third stage of qualifying for the finals tournament in Qatar 2022.

Japan leads their group after four straight wins without conceding a goal. South Korea, 2002 World Cup semi-finalists, are in a tight group tied with North Korea and Lebanon, and trailing leaders Turkmenistan by a point.

Australia also have four straight wins to be two points clear of Kuwait and Jordan. Syria have won five straight to lead its group by eight points from China and the Philippines.

The next scheduled phase involves 12 nations in two round-robin groups of 10 games for each team. Those will send four teams to Qatar.

Two further playoff rounds are in the intended Asian programme. Two teams would play a two-leg series to decide which advances to an inter-continental playoff round with one nation from each of South America, Oceania and North American region CONCACAF.

FIFA already pushed back the inter-continental round from March 2022 to June that year because of the pandemic.

Across AFC member countries, domestic leagues have resumed in under strict health protocols in China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. The Chinese government said last month it would not host any international sports event for the rest of 2020 unless it was to test venues for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The AFC also suspended its elite club competition, the Asian Champions League, in early March because of the virus.

Qatar will be the regional hub for matches in West Asia when the Champions League resumes on September 14. Malaysia was named the centralised hub in East Asia with matches in the region due to restart in October.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1574073/2...hind-schedule-with-asian-qualifiers-postponed

 

[sweep_shot]

I wonder how will they manage the qualifying games. They probably have to rush a lot.

 

[liam26]

I wonder how will they manage the qualifying games. They probably have to rush a lot.

Are you keeping a tracking of the AFC Round 2 ?

I have read that the remaining qualifying matches are already postponed to be held in 2021. It will be a packed schedule next year. Even Euro 2020 is supposed to take place in 2021.

 

[sweep_shot]

Are you keeping a tracking of the AFC Round 2 ?

I have read that the remaining qualifying matches are already postponed to be held in 2021. It will be a packed schedule next year. Even Euro 2020 is supposed to take place in 2021.

They are assuming COVID-19 situation will get better which is obviously not guaranteed.

 

[MenInG]

Doha, Qatar - Angeline arrived in Qatar in 2018 hoping to provide for her three children, two brothers and mother back in the Philippines.

This was her first overseas employment stint and she wanted to make enough money to be able to buy a house for her family.

Now, Angeline is struggling to survive and waiting for the end of her contract so she can go home.

"We've not been paid since April 1 as we've not been working since then [due to the coronavirus pandemic]," she told Al Jazeera, adding that her employers gave a one-time allowance of 200 Qatari riyals ($55) in April.

"They said it was a cash advance and will be deducted from the salary once we get paid."

The cleaning company that Angelina works for has, like thousands of other businesses across Qatar, felt the brunt of government-enforced coronavirus-related restrictions.

In June, Qatar's government told Al Jazeera it had introduced a 75-billion-riyal ($20.6bn) stimulus package to help companies continue operations and retain jobs, including those in "financial difficulty to pay salaries and rent".

But Angeline says her employers have refused to help out financially and have even confiscated passports and ATM cards - the latter action is illegal under Qatari law.

"In May, they told us they will give us 400 [riyals, or $110] if we sign a new contract. Those who refused were given another deductible cash advance of 200 [riyals]. We had no option but to agree. Otherwise, we would've starved to death."

Qatar's treatment of migrant workers and its human-rights record has been under the spotlight since it was awarded the hosting of football's 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Under Qatar's "kafala" (Arabic word for sponsorship) system, migrant workers must obtain their employers' permission - a no-objection certificate (NOC) - before changing jobs, a law that rights activists say ties them with their employers and could lead to abuse and exploitation.

The Government Communication Office (GCO) told Al Jazeera: "Qatar has made substantial progress on labour reforms and it continues to work with NGOs, including the International Labour Organization, to ensure that these reforms are far-reaching and effective."

However, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, released on Monday, said the country's "efforts to protect migrant workers' right to accurate and timely wages have largely proven unsuccessful".

"Despite a handful of reforms in recent years, withheld and unpaid salaries, as well as other wage abuses, are persistent and widespread across at least 60 employers and companies in Qatar," the report added.

HRW said majority of the migrant workers it spoke to for the report experienced salary delays, non-payment of dues and end-of-service benefits. Some said "employers made arbitrary deductions from their salaries".

In response, the GCO said: "Nearly all individuals who come to Qatar for employment never experience any form of wage abuse. There are a few, isolated, instances where workers experience this issue."

In June, Al Jazeera published a report on how the coronavirus shutdown affected Qatar's migrant workers. It spoke to hundreds of workers employed by private companies in the country, majority in a "no work, no pay" situation, struggling to survive despite the government's stimulus package.

Al Jazeera spoke to numerous affected migrant workers, including driving instructors, salon staff, baristas, chefs, private taxi drivers, small business owners, and hotel and hospitality staff. Most of them have not received any assistance from their employers and are too afraid to complain.

"The [GCO's] statement is not consistent with the findings that we have but also with the almost periodic media reports we see of hundreds of migrant workers stranded after their employer stops paying them for months on end," Hiba Zayadin, HRW's Gulf researcher, told Al Jazeera.

"This is a pervasive issue, not just in Qatar but across the Gulf. It is important to stress that our report does not say nor intend to imply that all migrant workers in Qatar suffer wage abuses. Instead, it seeks to show that they work against a backdrop that both enables widespread wage abuse and fails to adequately protect them from it when it occurs."

Al Jazeera has learned that despite a lot of coronavirus-enforced restrictions being lifted as part of Qatar's four-phase plan to reopen the country and economy, a number of private sponsors are still failing to pay staff their dues despite making them work.

"I'm working six hours daily all week but getting paid just over seven riyals [$1.9] per hour," staff from another cleaning company told Al Jazeera. "Because, until now, the company is still not operating fully, they said they are unable to pay us what the contract says.

"My last salary was paid in March. Since then, the company has not given us anything, not even a single riyal. We are only able to survive through private donations of rice and food items."

Some workers said they have not been paid since January. Others are being paid a fraction of their salaries.

Workers have also told Al Jazeera some employers transfer the salaries into the workers' bank accounts but force the employees to hand over the ATM cards before withdrawing the amount.

GCO's claim that wage abuse is experienced in isolated instances has surprised rights organisations.

"This response was not just inaccurate but really disrespectful and unmindful of what workers are going through. To deny this, especially in this period where job cuts and pay cuts are the norm, was ill-advised," Vani Saraswathi, director of projects at Migrant-Rights.Org, told Al Jazeera.

"The GCO only had to peruse the complaints filed at various embassies and the MADLSA [labour ministry] to realise these are not isolated cases and is so widespread that it runs into tens of thousands. If they don't recognise the problem, how are they going to resolve it?"

The GCO said businesses that ceased services following government instructions earlier this year were ordered to pay "basic salary and allowances".

It added that the recommendations put forward in the HRW report "are already being implemented or on track to begin implementation", including laws that remove the NOC requirement and the introduction of a minimum wage.

"Qatar's labour programme protects all workers in all stages of their employment cycle," the statement said.

READ MORE
Qatar announces plan to bid for 2032 Olympic Games
But HRW's Zayadin said while "Qatar has made many promises to migrant workers over the past several years and has introduced some reforms", they were not going far enough.

"Time and again, migrant workers in Qatar have been disappointed to find that the marketed reforms have done little to improve their lived realities in the country," she added.

"If Qatar truly wants these reforms to reverberate on the ground and to make a difference in the lives of those they aim to target, they need to abolish kafala in its entirety, allow workers to join trade unions, and introduce reforms that address harmful business practices."

Workers are also losing faith in the system due to the barriers that exist in accessing justice in Qatar, Saraswathi said, echoing the fear among migrant workers of repercussions if they complain.

She added that for workers the announcement of reforms or a report mean little.

Qatar's government said it encourages workers to lodge their complaints with the labour ministry via a phone call, text or email.

In June, the GCO said: "Over 12,000 inspections have been carried out at workplaces and accommodation sites to confirm that companies are implementing all COVID-19 precautionary measures. There is no excuse for any company to violate Qatar's labour laws, including late payment of salaries."

For Angeline, who is scared to speak up, there is only one thing on her mind.

"My family is struggling to survive. They had to sell things in the house to buy food. Even here, it's very difficult for me and my colleagues but we are very scared of the employer as we've heard stories about blacklisting and deportation in the past.

"The only thing on my mind is to leave."

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/f...ng-qatar-migrant-workers-200826064553044.html

 

[MenInG]

FIFA President Gianni Infantino described preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ as “impressive” during a whistle-stop tour of the country this week.

President Infantino met with tournament organisers and took part in a seven-a-side match at Al Bayt Stadium, a 60,000-capacity venue designed to resemble a traditional Arab tent. The striking arena will be inaugurated in the coming months and has been confirmed as the venue for the opening game of the tournament.

“It is an absolute pleasure to play football at this amazing stadium, where on 21 November 2022, we will kick off the greatest FIFA World Cup ever,” said President Infantino.

“Al Bayt Stadium is incredible: a true football stadium. It has a real football feel and a local touch. The tented shape makes it truly unique, and the Arabic patterns in the roof are just beautiful. I am speechless.”

Preparations for Qatar 2022 have continued despite the pandemic following the implementation of stringent health and safety protocols to protect workers from COVID-19. Khalifa International, Al Janoub and Education City stadiums have all been inaugurated and are fully operational, with three others – Al Bayt, Al Rayyan and Al Thumama – in the final stages of construction. All eight venues will be completed well in advance of the tournament.

“I am very pleased with Qatar’s progress ahead of the tournament. We have seen the plans, but when you see the reality, it is even more impressive. Qatar has been able to continue to advance during the last six months while the world stood still – from infrastructure preparations to important developments such as the recent labour reforms announced by the government. If I was confident before, now I can say I am even more,” added President Infantino.

“In 2022, everything will be close by and fans from all nationalities will have the opportunity to gather in the same public areas and enjoy Qatar’s mild temperatures at this time of the year. It’s a World Cup like no other was or ever will be.”

H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, echoed President Infantino’s comments and said he was proud of the foundations laid by the country in the lead-up to the tournament.

“We are immensely proud to be hosting the Arab world and Middle East’s first FIFA World Cup in 2022.

“With that pride comes a sense of responsibility, and that factor has been enhanced since the world has had to come to terms with COVID-19. We are optimistic that by kick-off in November 2022, we’ll be ready to welcome fans from every continent here in Qatar to celebrate together, united by their shared passion for football.”

Al Thawadi added: “It was a pleasure to welcome President Infantino to Al Bayt Stadium today. Al Bayt is particularly meaningful to us as it represents the town of Al Khor as well as the culture and history of Qatar through its special design. We’re all looking forward to the first ball of the FIFA World Cup 2022 being kicked in this stadium two years from now.”

Nasser Al Khater, CEO of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, said Qatar was in excellent shape and looking forward to welcoming fans from all over the world in a little over two years’ time.

“When it comes to World Cup infrastructure, we’re in a great position, with construction nearing 90 per cent completion across all projects,” said Al Khater. “At this point on the road to 2022, our focus is now shifting from delivering infrastructure to refining and optimising the detailed operational planning and fan experience for the tournament. We are also now significantly stepping up our promotion of the tournament to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to attend and enjoy this unique World Cup.”

https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/...d-cup-preparations-during-his-first-visit-to-

 

[MenInG]

England have secured one of the top 10 European seeds in the draw for World Cup 2022 qualifying after staying fourth in Fifa's world rankings.

Gareth Southgate's side will be in pot one for the draw on 7 December, with Belgium top-seeded after they held on to first place in the men's rankings.

Wales have moved up two spots to 18th and will be in pot two.

The Republic of Ireland (42nd), Northern Ireland (45th) and Scotland (48th) will all be in pot three.

Scotland dropped three places, with Northern Ireland falling four and the Republic of Ireland going down six spots.

The top six in the rankings all remained the same, with world champions France in second, Brazil third, European champions Portugal fifth and Spain sixth.

Argentina moved up to seventh, with Uruguay falling to eighth, while Mexico and Italy moved back into the top 10 at the expense of Croatia and Colombia.

The qualifying draw for European nations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will take place at 17:00 GMT in Zurich on 7 December and you can watch it live on the BBC Sport website and app.

How does World Cup qualifying draw for European teams work?
There are 13 spots for European teams out of 32 in total in Qatar, with the tournament being held from 21 November to 18 December 2022 because of the country's intense summer heat.

The next Fifa world rankings will be released on 10 December.

European World Cup qualifying full pot seedings (55 nations in total)
Pot 1: Belgium, France, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands.

Pot 2: Switzerland, Wales, Poland, Sweden, Austria, Ukraine, Serbia, Turkey, Slovakia, Romania.

Pot 3: Russia, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Czech Republic, Norway, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, Greece, Finland.

Pot 4: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Belarus, Georgia, Luxembourg.

Pot 5: Armenia, Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Andorra.

Pot 6: Malta, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, San Marino.

Top 10 in Fifa world rankings
1. Belgium

2. France

3. Brazil

4. England

5. Portugal

6. Spain

7. Argentina

8. Uruguay

9. Mexico

10. Italy

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/55099601

 

[MenInG]

European qualifying draw for Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 complete

England will face Poland, Hungary, Albania, Andorra & San Marino

Wales drawn against Belgium, Czech Republic, Belarus & Estonia

Scotland up against Denmark, Austria, Israel, Faroe Islands, Moldova

Northern Ireland will meet Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Lithuania

Republic of Ireland up against Portugal, Serbia, Luxembourg & Azerbaijan

Qualifying begins in March 2021, World Cup starts on 21 November 2022

 

[KingKhanWC]

Good draw for the UK nations.

England will easily qualify but Wales, Scotland and even Rep of Ireland have a great chance.

I cant wait to be in Doha in 2 years time.

 

[MenInG]

Building the stage for the final of Qatar's World Cup 2022

 

[MenInG]

Qatar will only allow people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend next year's World Cup.

 

[Firebat]

Qatar is in talks to secure one million Covid-19 vaccines to immunise those visiting the country for the 2022 World Cup.

 

[GenericBrand]

Qatar will only allow people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend next year's World Cup.

Good decision

 

[KingKhanWC]

Qatar will only allow people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend next year's World Cup.

Its in the winter(Europe), chances are the UK will have Qatar on the red list, not many England fans will travel. This world cup wont have full stadiums, which will be a shame.

 

[MenInG]

Fifa will receive $201m (£146m) in forfeited funds seized during a corruption probe, the US Department of Justice has announced.

More than 50 defendants have been criminally charged since the Department of Justice unveiled its corruption probe in 2015.

Twenty-seven people and four corporate entities have pleaded guilty, with two people convicted at trial.

The repayment will begin with an initial $32.3m (£23.5m).

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/soccer-fans-could-face-accommodation-shortage-qatars-world-cup-2021-11-15/

On the outskirts of Doha, low-rise apartment blocks are starting to take shape that will house many of the soccer fans due to descend on the Qatari capital next year for the World Cup 2022.

Qatar, which has been in the spotlight for its treatment of migrant workers on construction sites, hopes the tournament will attract 1.2 million visitors, roughly a third of its population.

But organisers told Reuters they expect to be able to offer up to 130,000 rooms, including hotels, which could leave thousands of fans scrambling for accommodation when matches start next November.

And those hoping for city views may be disappointed. The Madinatna complex, capable of housing up to 27,000 fans sharing apartments, is surrounded by an 18-lane expressway and a stark expanse of desert 25 kms (15 miles) from Doha's centre.

Organisers have announced only partial details about how and where they plan to find 130,000 rooms, saying the total stock of hotel rooms would be announced "in due course.

"It's really frustrating when the host country makes promises about available and affordable accommodation, and then we get closer to a tournament and we see a shortage," said Ronan Evian, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, a network of European soccer fans.

Qatar will have fewer than 50,000 hotel rooms ready by next November, according to estimates by Qatar Tourism, a government body that sets strategy and regulates tourism. And not all hotel rooms will be available to fans as many have been reserved for players and FIFA officials, hotel sources said.

Two cruise ships, one still under construction in France, and shared villas and apartments, including those at Madinatna, would provide at least another 64,000 rooms, most of them to be managed by Accor, Europe's largest hotel operator.

A construction frenzy continues at the site of Madinatna (Our City), due to be completed in spring, and at more than two dozen hotel sites.

Authorities have banned all hotels from accepting individual reservations starting November until the tournament's conclusion on Dec. 23, according to a circular issued earlier this year.

Instead, Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy will handle sales of nearly all accommodation options in Qatar. The government has capped hotel rates specifically for the World Cup, but rates for other accommodation have not yet been set.

World Cup rates for all but two- and three-star hotels look set to exceed the most recently published average nightly room rate of 438 riyals ($120).

The scramble to secure accommodation has seen some furnished apartments and villas rented only to tenants agreeing to short-term leases. A rental agent at the Grand Hyatt's furnished villas, for example, said all new leases must end in March 2022.

It has driven up rental prices, which had been declining for years. Asking prices for apartments and villas have recently increased by 5-10%, said a recent real estate market review by Cushman and Wakefield.

Qatar, the first Middle Eastern nation to host the event, is already under media scrutiny over the plight of migrant workers, who along with other foreigners comprise the bulk of the population.

It introduced a series of labour reforms in the last year that have boosted the minimum wage and rules authorities say are designed to protect workers from heat stress.

Previous World Cups have been held across multiple cities in large countries like Brazil or Russia, but Qatar is roughly the size of Jamaica and its eight World Cup stadiums are clustered around its only major city, Doha.

A spokesperson for the Supreme Committee said in a statement to Reuters that they will be "utilising every available accommodation option" in the country.

One proposal has been desert "fan villages" that house visitors in bedouin-style tents or out under the stars in the Gulf's mild autumn.

The Supreme Committee spokesperson said that concept was still being finalised. It was not immediately clear how sewage, water and food at desert villages would be handled.

Qatar Tourism has launched a "holiday home" scheme allowing people in Doha to apply for licences to rent out their homes on platforms like AirBnB or VRBO.

Organisers marketed a "Host a Fan" campaign ahead of the FIFA Arab Cup in Doha this December, which will serve as a test of Qatar's preparedness for next year.

But the call for Qataris to open their homes has raised eyebrows among some in the conservative Muslim country and organisers have not said how many homes have signed up.

If these schemes do not pan out, fans may choose to commute from other Gulf Arab states, especially after a row between some of them and Qatar was resolved in January, allowing flights to resume between Doha and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Work is also underway to expand Qatar's main airport and reopen an old airport, allowing more flights from nearby cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE or the Omani capital Muscat.

NO WHITE ELEPHANTS

World Cup officials played down the prospect of an accommodation shortfall and said Qatar was building only what its market needed and avoiding "white elephants".

"We don't want to start building a lot of hotels, then after the tournament when the peak drops, there is not going to be any (utilization of the hotels)," said Fatma Al-Nuaimi, a spokesperson for the 2022 organising committee.

Aside from soccer stadiums, Qatar has not specified legacy plans for what will happen to World Cup infrastructure after the tournament.

Complexes like Madinatna, which alone brings 6,780 new apartments to market, could risk a supply glut in a property market that has previously been hit by the Gulf row that saw Saudi Arabia and its allies impose an embargo in mid-2017.

"After the World Cup, we expect rents to reduce again and supply that had been tied up for the event will be filtered back into the market," Cushman and Wakefield head of research Johnny Archer told Reuters.

 

[James]

This particular World Cup could end up being peak strange. Mid season, desert conditions in the winter months, all new stadia, strict restrictions on travel and admission, potentially reduced daily attendances.

I am a strong supporter of prominent events being held outside of Europe and the Americas whenever this is viable, because in a currently anglocentric global environment this does not happen often enough — but I’m not sure that Qatar will turn out be the best choice of host nation.

Moreover, its selection was largely a consequence of deeply ingrained FIFA corruption, backroom bung taking, & generally crooked behaviour as per the numerous FBI indictments; to the point where I am in fact slightly surprised that Qatar 2022 did not get pulled at some point, with the entire bidding contest then being rerun.

Anyway, I will still be watching with interest. For the first occasion perhaps in my lifetime, an England team goes into a World Cup as one of the genuine favourites to lift the whole thing, a close knit group with a genuine togetherness and spirit — as opposed to the usual English entry, which has historically consisted of a hyped and grossly overpressurised group of disparate and inconsistent individuals.

 

[KingKhanWC]

This particular World Cup could end up being peak strange. Mid season, desert conditions in the winter months, all new stadia, strict restrictions on travel and admission, potentially reduced daily attendances.

I am a strong supporter of prominent events being held outside of Europe and the Americas whenever this is viable, because in a currently anglocentric global environment this does not happen often enough — but I’m not sure that Qatar will turn out be the best choice of host nation.

Moreover, its selection was largely a consequence of deeply ingrained FIFA corruption, backroom bung taking, & generally crooked behaviour as per the numerous FBI indictments; to the point where I am in fact slightly surprised that Qatar 2022 did not get pulled at some point, with the entire bidding contest then being rerun.

Anyway, I will still be watching with interest. For the first occasion perhaps in my lifetime, an England team goes into a World Cup as one of the genuine favourites to lift the whole thing, a close knit group with a genuine togetherness and spirit — as opposed to the usual English entry, which has historically consisted of a hyped and grossly overpressurised group of disparate and inconsistent individuals.

Similar things were said about Russia but it turned out be the best world cup of all time for many.

This will be an incredible world cup because everything is state of the art, like nothing seen before.

As for England, very small chance as the level of other teams is very impressive at present.

 

[MenInG]

Dec 14 (Reuters) - FIFA held a virtual meeting on Tuesday with political institutions as well as rights organisations to discuss human rights in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup, global soccer's governing body said in a statement.

The meeting included FIFA President Gianni Infantino and head of the tournament's organising body Hassan Al Thawadi as well as members of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and political representatives from parliaments across Europe.

There were also representatives from the EU Commission, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the United Nations and UNESCO among others.

FIFA said the dialogue gave an opportunity for stakeholders to raise questions and concerns on a number of key topics, including workers' welfare and LGBTQIA rights.

"From day one, we have been committed to ensure a legacy is delivered before the tournament and that this legacy lasts beyond the tournament too, specifically on labour reform but on other topics as well.", Al Thawadi said.

The government of Qatar has said in the past its labour system is still a work in progress but has denied accusations in a report by Amnesty International that thousands of migrant workers were being exploited.

A 48-page report by Amnesty, Reality Check 2021, said that practices such as withholding salaries and charging workers to change jobs were still rife.

Human Rights Watch has said that Qatari laws continue to discriminate against women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.

"Our main question here in Qatar remains on LGBTQIA rights and specifically on the law that criminalises homosexuality," said Piara Powar, Executive Director of the Fare network, an organisation set up to counter discrimination in European football.

"We know that many LGBTQIA people are fearful of coming, of what awaits. Respect for local culture should not preclude reaching out to ensure the safety of LGBTQIA communities."

 

[James]

One to read into? Or not?

Too late for it to be moved now — surely.

 

[MenInG]

The Netherlands boss says money and commercial interests are the real reasons behind Qatar getting the hosting rights

Louis van Gaal has criticised FIFA for its "ridiculous" decision to allow Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup and claims the governing body's stated reasons are "bullsh*t".

It was announced in December 2010 that the competition would be held in Qatar, sparking outrage across the football world.

Reports that thousands of migrant workers have died during construction of stadiums in Qatar, as well as the country's human rights abuses and concerns about the safety of LGBT fans, have resulted in calls for the country to be stripped of the tournament.

Many players and coaches have spoken out against the decision to play the World Cup in Qatar, and Netherlands boss Van Gaal is the latest to express his anger.

"I have already mentioned it in previous press conferences. I think it's ridiculous that the World Cup is there," he told reporters on Monday.

“We are playing in a country that FIFA says they want to develop football there. That's ********, but it doesn't matter. It's about money, about commercial interests. That matters in FIFA.

"Why do you think I'm not on any committee at FIFA or UEFA with my expertise? Because I have always opposed these kinds of organizations.

"I can say that in Qatar later, but that won't help the world get rid of this problem."

Van Gaal the latest to speak out
Many players and national teams have already publicly criticised the decision to give Qatar the World Cup.

Last year, Norway, Netherlands and Germany protested Qatar's human rights record before World Cup qualifying matches by wearing t-shirts with slogans onto the field.

Meanwhile, Germany midfielder Toni Kroos said last March that it was "wrong" to give the country the hosting rights.

https://www.goal.com/en/news/bullsh...oss-van-gaal-slams-fifa-s/blte2cc23a6fbf09e7a

 

[Firebat]

Harry Kane says England players will aim to use their platforms to inspire change in Qatar at World Cup

Harry Kane says England's players will use their platform at the World Cup to try to improve human rights issues in Qatar.

Accusations concerning the treatment of migrant workers and a poor record of human rights have plagued the Gulf state since it was controversially awarded the finals back in 2010.

Male homosexuality is punishable by a prison sentence, same-sex marriages are not recognised by the government and women's rights are much tighter than in other parts of the world.

Kane revealed the England squad and staff met for half an hour on Tuesday evening to discuss those issues ahead of the November tournament.

The England captain says while that was the first initial discussion the group have had on the topic, he expects Gareth Southgate's squad to continue to explore how they can make a statement and suggested he and other senior players would speak with other national team captains to try to find a unified approach.

"We had that meeting last night and I think it was important to talk with the manager and the staff and the players," said Kane at his press conference on Wednesday ahead of England's friendlies with Switzerland and Ivory Coast.

"Obviously we wanted to qualify for the World Cup before doing that and we've done that. So it was our first chance to have that chat. Gareth led that meeting and we spoke about what to expect and some of the important issues which are surrounding the World Cup.

"For us now as players it's important to talk among ourselves - not just this camp but the camps going forward as well in June.

"I feel as a group we've never shied away from important issues, and we've always had our opinions and tried to show unity in anything we've done. That's what will happen now over this camp and the next camp to try to help in any way we can to support those issues.

"As players we didn't choose where this World Cup was going to be. But what it has done is it has shone a light on important issues which might not have come to light if the World Cup wasn't there.

"We have to try to help as much as possible to understand the issues and the situations. We're no experts in that field at the moment in terms of what we know but as always we try to help in any way we can, we try to use our platform to help in any way we can.

"I understand there has been some progress on certain issues in the country so far. What my hope is that having the World Cup there and having this light on the country will help try and progress some of the issues which have been going on for a long time.

"There's a couple of other national team captains in my team at Tottenham, maybe [I will be] talking to other national team captains to see whether we can be unified in what we try and do and approach it. That's something myself and some of the senior players in the team will look to try to achieve over the coming months.

"There's still a lot of progress to be made. But hopefully all of us, like we have done in the past, can try to make change with the platforms that we have."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...forms-to-inspire-change-in-qatar-at-world-cup

 

[Firebat]

 

[Firebat]

European champions Italy will not be at Qatar 2022, courtesy of a 92nd minute winner from North Macedonia!

 

[Firebat]

European champions Italy will not play in the 2022 World Cup after being stunned 1-0 by North Macedonia in their play-off in Palermo.

Gareth Bale scored two brilliant goals in a vintage individual performance to take Wales a step closer to qualifying for their first World Cup since 1958 with a 2-1 victory over Austria in their play-off semi-final.

Portugal kept their hopes of reaching the 2022 World Cup alive as they beat Turkey 3-1 after the visitors missed a late penalty in the play-off semi-final in Porto.

Robin Quaison's extra-time winner took Sweden past the Czech Republic and into a World Cup play-off final with Poland.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

European champions Italy will not be at Qatar 2022, courtesy of a 92nd minute winner from North Macedonia!

My goodness me, I was expecting Portugal to lose to Italy!!!

This is completely shocking!!, I really wonder how Italy fans are feeling from this, having just won the Euros.

By the way, I thought they were supposed to play two matches, for the play-offs rather than one.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Italy )

2nd time in a row to miss out on World Cup.

Too arrogant, taking it too lightly against N Macadonia after winning the Euro.

One on hand its sad not to see a giant football nation but on the other, wont have to watch Italian dramatics & time wasting.

Good news for Ronaldo and Portugal but cant count of Macadonia, great performance by them!

 

[James]

Italy ) shocking.

 

[sweep_shot]

Italy!

They are missing out for 2nd time.

This is hard to believe.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Egypt 1-0 Senegal

2nd Leg on Tuesday.

Salah and Egpyt may just hold on to a 0-0 away.

Its a shame one of Mane or Salah wont be in Qatar, two of the best in the world.

 

[Firebat]

 

[Firebat]

A fourth-minute own goal by Senegal's Saliou Ciss was enough to give Egypt a 1-0 win in the first leg of their World Cup play-off in Cairo.

Algeria inflicted a rare home defeat on Cameroon as the 2019 African champions took a crucial 1-0 lead from the first leg of their 2022 World Cup play-off.

 

[OldWarHorse]

Australia were terrible during the qualifiers, losing at home and away to Japan sealed their fate. Dont think they will make it to Qatar having to face some South American side in the playoffs.

Meanwhile Ecuador and Uruguay have joined Brazil and Argentina from there.

Also Canada losing to Costa Rica has just prolonged the wait for first WC appearance in so many years. Chance to fix that on Sunday.

 

[Firebat]

WC Qualifiers Europe tables:

 

[Firebat]

Canada beat Jamaica 4-0 to reach their first men's World Cup in 36 years.

 

[Firebat]

Congratulations to all PP Canadians, we'll be seeing you this winter in Qatar.

 

[Junaids]

Australia were terrible during the qualifiers, losing at home and away to Japan sealed their fate. Dont think they will make it to Qatar having to face some South American side in the playoffs.

Meanwhile Ecuador and Uruguay have joined Brazil and Argentina from there.

Also Canada losing to Costa Rica has just prolonged the wait for first WC appearance in so many years. Chance to fix that on Sunday.

Australia has less talent than previously, but the main problem is a tactically rigid (and not very smart) coach whose one and only playing style involves a terrible cocktail of:

1. Conceding possession, while
2. Not being set up to counter-attack when they regain the ball.

They might beat the UAE and then Peru though. Peru has an ageing team with no fresh talent.

 

[Junaids]

Congratulations to all PP Canadians, we'll be seeing you this winter in Qatar.

More than that, much, much more than that.

The USA and Canada have excellent reserves of young talent and should be building for when they host the 2026 World Cup, except the US coach is tactically incompetent.

But Canada will reach the Semi-Final in 2026 (I'm not kidding) and they should reach the second round next year.

They are physically strong but are packed with pace as well, and they are going to be really hard for teams to play against.

I would advise anyone to do two things.

Firstly, look at the goals with which Canada beat the USA at home in January. Skill, strength but above all pace - they are a lot like Lobanovski's 1986 USSR team.

Secondly, look at how they battered Costa Rica last week. They lost 1-0 after an absurd red card, but with 10 men they absolutely dominated the match.

This Canada is a team which will win games with 30-35% possession at the World Cup.

The only caveat is how the draw is being held this Friday.

The 8 Top Seeds are

Qatar
France
Argentina
Brazil
England
Spain
Portugal
Netherlands.

You then have strong teams in the second seed group, which looks like containing:

Croatia
Denmark
Germany
USA
Mexico
Switzerland
Uruguay
Sweden

The third seeds should be:

Senegal
Wales
Iran
Peru
Japan
Morocco
Serbia
South Korea

The bottom seeds will be:

Nigeria
Canada
Tunisia
Costa Rica
Algeria
Ecuador
Saudi Arabia





That's where it gets complicated.

The USA and Mexico won't be drawn in Canada's group - so Canada will get a tougher second seed.

And Uruguay won't get drawn in Argentina or Brazil's group.

So we could easily end up with Canada in a group along the lines of:

Argentina
Germany
Serbia
Canada

 

[Junaids]

By the way, I would encourage anybody to watch the 2014 World Cup draw again.

Let me word this very, very carefully for legal reasons.

The 2014 draw was conducted by the now-disgraced Jerome Valcke on a table which was angled so that the cameras could not see it.

He emptied each ball onto the table, then picked up the paper which had supposedly been inside it and placed that team in whichever group.

But there were two problems, which give away the possibility that the draw was actually rigged.

Firstly, it had been a surprise when Uruguay was seeded instead of Italy (due to the FIFA rankings), but the Uruguayan media reported the day before the draw that Italy and Uruguay had been drawn in the same group!

Secondly, Germany had already booked its base in the tropical northeast of Brazil - it was going to be winter in Rio and Sao Paulo - and then, surprise surprise, they were drawn in the only group in which 5 out of 6 matches - and all 3 of their matches - were to be played in the tropical northeast.

If you watch the video, it becomes obvious, let us say, that you could easily have rigged this draw.

You would conduct it exactly as shown on TV, but instead of picking up the paper team names which dropped out of each ball that was drawn, you would simply pick up another piece of paper which was already placed on the table in a set position as part of the rigged draw.

I am not accusing Blatter and Valcke and Platini of doing this, even though all three are now banned from football for corruption.

I'm just saying you could easily have done that given the camera angles and the fact that the table top was never actually shown.

 

[Firebat]

27 out of 32 places confirmed for Qatar 2022:

Qatar
Germany
Denmark
France
Belgium
Croatia
Spain
Serbia
England
Switzerland
Netherlands
Brazil
Argentina
Ecuador
Uruguay
Iran
South Korea
Japan
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Poland
Portugal
Senegal
Ghana
Morocco
Tunisia
Cameroon

 

[Firebat]

Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al Khater wants meeting with England manager Gareth Southgate to discuss his concerns

Nasser Al Khater, Qatar 2022 CEO, has said he would like a meeting with Gareth Southgate after the England manager called into question the treatment of migrant workers in the Gulf State and claimed it was a "great shame" some England fans would not travel to this year's World Cup.

Accusations concerning the treatment of migrant workers and a poor record of human rights have plagued Qatar since it was controversially awarded the World Cup finals back in 2010.

Southgate recently said he was now "clear" on the issues of hosting the World Cup in the region and that he plans to hold talks with his squad about these issues.

However, in an interview with Sky Sports News Chief, Al Khater has responded by saying he "respects" Southgate as a coach and person but has defended Qatar's treatment of workers.

"My question would be, who from the England squad has come to Qatar? My question to the coach is, has he been to Qatar? Is he basing his opinions and his public statements on what he has read?" he said.

"Because it is kind of an issue if you're basing your opinions and you are very vocal about that based on things you have read. Somebody with a lot of influence, such as Southgate, somebody with a big audience that listens to what he says, ought to pick his words very carefully.

"And I think that before making statements like that, when it comes to the workers, he needs to come here and speak to workers and understand what workers get out of being here.

"There are isolated cases, those are the cases that make it to the media, however, I can assure him that if he comes here and speaks to the majority of the workers, they will tell you how they put their children through university, they will tell you how they've built their houses for them and their families.

"And these are the stories that nobody hears, so I look forward to welcoming him here, I look forward to meeting him at the draw and he can listen to my opinion, he does not have to believe it, but at least he needs to go that far to understand different opinions and different cultures.

"No country is perfect, let's get that right and I do not think anybody can claim that, so if somebody is coming and claiming they are a perfect country, they need to really take a look at themselves."

Sky Sports News understands that Southgate has visited Qatar.

Southgate also suggested some of England's LGBTQ+ supporters would not travel to Qatar for the tournament given that in the Gulf State, male homosexuality is punishable by a prison sentence, same-sex marriages are not recognised by the government and women's rights are much more restricted than in other parts of the world.

But Al Khater responded by reassuring all fans they would be safe in Qatar as long as they respected the region's norms and cultures.

"First of all, people need to understand Qatar is the safest country in the Middle East, it is the second safest country in the world, people need to understand what that safety means and why it is the safest country in the Middle East and why it is one of the safest countries in the world," he said.

"There is a lot of meaning in that, and I can assure fans that the reason they won't feel safe here is because of the lack of understanding and the lack of understanding of tolerance.

"So again, people are basing their opinions and fears on things they do not understand and that is usually what causes apprehension with human beings, a lack of understanding.

"People are going to feel safe here, people are going to be very comfortable, what I can say to fans is, we are a modest country, we have our culture, we have our norms, what we ask of them is to respect it. What that means is, whether you are a gay couple, whether you are a heterosexual couple, we have the same norms, we look at it the same way.

"So, all we ask is for people to be respectful, like we are respectful when we travel around the world, and basically just to observe these cultural differences. Basically what it means is public displays of affection is frowned upon, that is simply it."

Southgate will be travelling to Qatar for Friday's World Cup draw, with Al Khater offering to meet with the England manager to discuss the issues.

"If he [Gareth Southgate] is watching this interview, I extend him my deepest respect, I respect him as a coach, I respect him as a human being, like I said, I don't have any issues with people's opinions and obviously, when somebody has a different opinion you give them your side of the story," he added.

"We can agree to disagree, but that is fine."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...reth-southgate-pick-your-words-more-carefully

 

[silentkiller187]

World Cup 2022: 'Issues of concern' remain for LGBTIQ+ people in Qatar

LGBTIQ+ organisations engaging with Fifa over the 2022 Qatar World Cup have said "progress has been slow" and "issues of concern" remain.

The 16 groups feel reassurances over the safety of LGBTIQ+ people in the host country "have not been adequate".

They added that if safety reassurances cannot be given they would have to question if the risk facing LGBTIQ+ people wanting to attend is too high.

They also said there had been "a high level of cooperation" from Fifa.

The decision to stage the tournament in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal, has been heavily criticised.

The international grouping of LGBTIQ+ organisations has presented eight action points on LGBTIQ+ rights it wants to see implemented by Fifa and the Qatari authorities before the tournament begins on 21 November.

Those measures include repealing laws and regulations which target LGBTIQ+ people and providing safety guarantees against harassment or arrest.

They have also called for appropriate training in dealing with the LGBTIQ+ community, as well as for work to continue to ensure the long-term safety of LGBTIQ+ persons in the region.

"Progress has been slow, reassurances about the safety of LGBTIQ+ people and the mechanisms in place to ensure safety have not been adequate," the groups said.

"If acknowledgement of the issues facing LGBTIQ+ people in Qatar and reassurances of safety cannot be offered, we will be forced to question if the risk facing LGBTIQ+ people wanting to attend or work at the World Cup in Qatar is too high."

They added further meetings with both Fifa and Qatar's supreme committee for organising the tournament are planned in the coming weeks "where it is hoped progress can be made".

Their requested actions are as follows:

Repeal laws or regulations that target LGBTIQ+ people.
Provide explicit safety guarantees for LGBTIQ+ people against harassment, arrest or detention.
Guarantee the right of entry to Qatar for LGBTIQ+ persons planning to attend the 2022 World Cup, as well as freedom of expression for all people in the country, inside and outside stadiums.
Provide appropriate training in dealing with the LGBTIQ+ community.
Ensure adequate facilities in stadiums for LGBTIQ+ persons.

Fifa and the supreme committee communicate a clear welcome to Qatar for LGBTIQ+ persons planning to attend the 2022 World Cup, as well as freedom of expression for all people in the country, inside and outside stadiums.
Ensure that there is no censorship or ban on discussion of LGBTIQ+ issues in the local and international media or in broadcasting.
Work with stakeholders from the international and regional LGBTIQ+ community to ensure the long-term safety of LGBTIQ+ persons in the region.
Why is the Qatar World Cup controversial?
Fatma Al-Nuaimi, communications executive director of Qatar's supreme committee, told BBC Sport in November 2021 that "everyone will be welcome" at the 2022 World Cup.

However, the controversial awarding of the tournament to Qatar has placed the spotlight firmly on the host nation's human rights record.

The country has strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws, while women's rights are also subject of ongoing debate.

Qatar's treatment of the 30,000 migrant labourers working to build the tournament's infrastructure has also drawn criticism.

In February 2021, the Guardian reported 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died in Qatar since it won its World Cup bid - a figure Qatar disputes.

The initial decision to award Qatar the tournament prompted allegations that Fifa officials had been bribed, although an independent investigation, commissioned by Fifa, found no hard evidence of this.

Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has suggested holding the event in the Middle Eastern country was about "money" and "commercial interests".

Meanwhile, England boss Gareth Southgate has said it would be "a great shame" that some England fans will feel they cannot attend the World Cup because they are concerned about their safety, given the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community in Qatar.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60938023

 

[MenInG]

The secretary general of the 2022 Qatar World Cup says criticism by players and managers has been "ill-informed" and the nation "should not be apologetic" about hosting the tournament.

Qatar has been heavily criticised over the country's human rights record.

There are strict anti-LGBTIQ+ laws in Qatar, while there are also concerns over the treatment of migrant workers.

"Some people have made statements that in my opinion were ill-informed," Hassan Al-Thawadi told BBC Sport.

Speaking to BBC sports editor Dan Roan, Al-Thawadi added: "We should not be apologetic over our ambitions to host this tournament because we are football loving region.

"We are football crazy and football mad like anywhere else. We have the legitimate ambition to showcase our region to the rest of the world and to change people's perception of who we are."

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and human rights organisation Amnesty International say women and LGBTIQ+ people "continue to face discrimination in law and practice".

LGBTIQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer or questioning) groups engaging with Fifa over the 2022 World Cup say "issues of concern" remain and reassurances over the safety of LGBTIQ+ people in the Gulf nation "have not been adequate".

England manager Gareth Southgate has said it would be "a great shame" that some fans will feel they cannot attend the World Cup because of concerns over their safety, while captain Harry Kane said he wants to "shine a light" on the issues surrounding the Qatar tournament.

Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has suggested holding the event in the Middle Eastern country was about "money" and "commercial interests".

On how Qatar's laws can be reconciled with football's focus on inclusivity and anti-discrimination, Al-Thawadi said: "We have always said everybody is welcome. What we will ensure is everybody will be safe. Everybody will feel secure.

"[We are] inviting the world to come to visit Qatar, to visit the Arab world, and to understand again, for us, we're a relatively conservative country, which means public display of affection is something that is not within our culture.

"But hospitality and welcoming people from different parts of the world into our country is part of our culture."

He added: "We've done this over the last few years and we have people from different walks of life who have made a home for themselves in Qatar. I think the nature of these tournaments is it allows people from different walks of life to be able to experience and understand different cultures."

Amnesty International, who have claimed migrant workers are being exploited in Qatar, have called on England's players, staff and fans to highlight human rights concerns in the run-up to the World Cup, which begins on 21 November.

A report in the Guardian in February 2021 said 6,500 migrant workers have died in the country since the World Cup was awarded in 2010.

Qatar 2022 dispute these figures but have not commented publicly on them, while the Qatar government said in a statement: "The mortality rate among these communities is within the expected range for the size and demographics of the population."

Asked if the 2022 tournament was sportswashing, Al-Thawadi said "that could not be further from the truth".

"If you look at the progress that's been made over the last 12 years, I think that in itself does away with the concept of sportswashing because actual progress has been made on the ground in relation to that," Al-Thawadi said.

"There's always more work to be done. Just like there's more work to be done in England, just like there's more work to be done throughout the rest [of the world]. I don't think any country today in the world can claim that they have the ideal system in place.

"Always progress needs to be made. We acknowledge that progress needs to be made but what we asked was also to acknowledge the work that's been done."

Qatar says that between 2014 and 2020 there were 37 deaths among labourers building World Cup stadiums - of which 34 were "non-work related".

Eight new stadiums have been built for the World Cup in Qatar, including the 80,000-capacity Lusail Stadium, which is the biggest venue at the tournament and will host the final.

In 2016, Amnesty International accused Qatar of using forced labour, and since 2017 the government has introduced measures to protect migrant labourers from working in excessive heat, limit their working hours and improve conditions in workers' camps.

In a statement, player representative organisation Fifpro said "workers continue to be subjected to abusive practices" and that "unscrupulous employers" are "not being held to account".

"Workers in the most vulnerable positions from countries such as India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan and some African countries still fear retaliation if they denounce exploitation, unpaid wages and long working hours," Fifpro said.

"In football terms, it is not even half-time. And each achievement gained for workers remains fragile. Among migrants in Qatar there is widespread fear that when the spotlight on Qatar dims after the World Cup the improvements achieved will peter out."

On the subject of migrant deaths, Al-Thawadi said: "No matter what you do, nothing is going to compensate the loss of life.

"But we've tried our best to be able to provide the relevant compensation for the families.

"What we have done is investigated every death, tried to find the root cause and ensure that these tragedies do not occur, and tried to take steps towards preventing any such tragedies from occurring."

At Thursday's Fifa Congress meeting in Qatar Norway's Football Federation president, Lise Klaveness said the World Cup had been awarded by Fifa "in unacceptable ways with unacceptable consequences".

"Human rights, equality, democracy, the core interests of football, were not in the starting 11 until many years later," she said.

Klaveness said that last year Norway had debated a boycott of the World Cup, but instead voted for dialogue and pressure through Fifa as the best way to make necessary changes.

 

[MenInG]

England will discover their Fifa World Cup 2022 opponents in Friday's draw.

One of Wales, Scotland or Ukraine will also be in Qatar this November and December but will not know until the remaining European play-offs in June.

Twenty-nine of the 32 World Cup teams are known, with two intercontinental play-off matches also set for June.

Jermaine Jenas hosts the draw from the Doha Exhibition & Conference Centre and it will be live on BBC TV and online from 16:45 BST on Friday, 1 April.

The entire show will be available uninterrupted on the BBC Red Button, iPlayer and BBC Sport website - along with a live text commentary. BBC One will show it from 16:45-18:00 BST with the final half an hour on BBC Two.

Ex-England captain Alan Shearer, former Nigeria striker Efan Ekoku and ex-Scotland forward James McFadden plus journalists Julien Laurens and Tim Vickery will be among the BBC guests, with Jonathan Pearce commentating on the draw.

There will also be extensive coverage of the draw and reaction to it on BBC Radio 5 Live with presenter Rick Edwards on the red carpet in Doha and football correspondent John Murray providing commentary live from the draw ceremony.

The Fifa World Cup takes place between 21 November and 18 December in Qatar.

Here is everything you need to know about the draw which will take place in front of about 2,000 guests.

Who is in it?

Pot 1 (seeded teams): Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal.

Pot 2: Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA, Croatia.

Pot 3: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Tunisia.

Pot 4: Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine, Costa Rica/New Zealand, UAE/Australia/Peru.

How does it work?

This World Cup has the same format as the past few tournaments, with teams drawn into eight groups of four.

Teams are seeded based on the Fifa world rankings released on 31 March. Hosts Qatar will be given position A1 from Pot 1 and the top seven ranked teams who have qualified are the other top seeds. England are among them.

The three play-off winners not yet decided (Wales v Scotland/Ukraine, Costa Rica v New Zealand, UAE/Australia v Peru) will be in the bottom pot of seeds.

The draw will start with the teams in the top pot and work downwards, finishing with the bottom pot.

After a team is drawn out, a second ball will be drawn to decide which group they are in.

Teams from the same continent will be kept apart - except for European countries, where a maximum of two can be in any one group.

Unlike in previous World Cups, the match schedule will be decided afterwards and will not happen automatically depending on how teams are drawn out.

Fifa says this provides "scope to provide a more beneficial kick-off time for audiences at home".

Why don't we know all the teams?

Usually all the teams would be known before the World Cup draw but this year three positions are yet to be decided for two different reasons.

Two intercontinental finals will be played in Qatar on 13 and 14 June. Costa Rica and New Zealand meet in one and in the other Peru will play the winner of the United Arab Emirates v Australia, who meet in the Asian play-off in Doha on 7 June.

Those games were moved from March because of knock-on effects of the Covid pandemic in each continent. All the Oceania qualifiers were played from 17 to 30 March in a mini-tournament in Qatar.

One of the three European play-off routes has been delayed because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Scotland's semi-final against Ukraine at Hampden Park was postponed from March until an unspecified date in June when it is hoped Ukraine will be in a position to play.

The winner of that game will face Wales, who beat Austria in their semi-final, in Cardiff a few days later for a place at the World Cup.

Who could England face?

England could end up in a group with Wales or Scotland, if one of them qualify, since they are in the top and bottom pots respectively and two European nations can be in one group.

The Three Lions could end up in a group with Germany, Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal and Ecuador - or a theoretically kinder draw could pit them against the USA, Iran and Ghana.

Scotland or Wales could end up with Brazil, Germany and Senegal - or a more favourable draw could see them face Qatar, the USA and Tunisia.

Who is doing the draw?
Eight former players and managers will be conducting the draw, including World Cup winners Cafu, of Brazil, and Lothar Matthaus, of Germany.

The others will be Jay-Jay Okocha, Tim Cahill, Adel Ahmed MalAllah, Ali Daei, Bora Milutinovic and Rabah Madjer.

Ex-Everton midfielder Cahill scored Australia's first World Cup goal and played at four tournaments, while former Bolton playmaker Okocha helped Nigeria qualify for their first World Cup in 1994.

Serb Milutinovic is the only person to manage at five consecutive World Cups with different teams (Mexico 1986, Costa Rica 1990, USA 1994, Nigeria 1998 and China 2002).

MalAllah won Fifa World Youth Championship silver with Qatar in 1981 and played at the 1984 Olympics.

Madjer scored for Algeria in their 1982 World Cup win over West Germany, while Daei was the all-time men's top scorer in internationals with 112 until Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo overtook him last year.

Ex-England midfielder Jenas, former USA women's international Carli Lloyd and British TV presenter Samantha Johnson will conduct the draw.

European champions Italy are the most notable absentees after their play-off defeat by North Macedonia, although they did also miss out on the last World Cup.

Russia also miss out after being kicked out of the play-offs following their country's invasion of Ukraine.

Norway failed to qualify, meaning Borussia Dortmund goal machine Erling Braut Haaland will have to wait for his major tournament debut.

Mohamed Salah and Egypt will not be there either after losing to Senegal on penalties.

Nigeria, Algeria and Ivory Coast are also missing from Africa, while South American teams Colombia and Chile also failed to qualify.

BBC

 

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Draw happening now....

 

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Draw happening now....

Uk viewers can watch live on BBC Iplayer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/60593068


Doha is a lovely city. The Qataris have done a brilliant job so far. This could be the best world cup ever in terms of organistaion. It will be tough ask to beat the quality of football in Moscow but possible.

England will be looking for a favourable draw but could get Germany & the likes of Senegal or Uruguay.

 

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Who is doing the draw?

Eight former players and managers will be conducting the draw, including World Cup winners Cafu, of Brazil, and Lothar Matthaus, of Germany.

The others will be Jay-Jay Okocha, Tim Cahill, Adel Ahmed MalAllah, Ali Daei, Bora Milutinovic and Rabah Madjer.

Ex-Everton midfielder Cahill scored Australia's first World Cup goal and played at four tournaments, while former Bolton playmaker Okocha helped Nigeria qualify for their first World Cup in 1994.

Serb Milutinovic is the only person to manage at five consecutive World Cups with different teams (Mexico 1986, Costa Rica 1990, USA 1994, Nigeria 1998 and China 2002).

MalAllah won Fifa World Youth Championship silver with Qatar in 1981 and played at the 1984 Olympics.

Madjer scored for Algeria in their 1982 World Cup win over West Germany, while Daei was the all-time men's top scorer in internationals with 112 until Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo overtook him last year.

They're being called to the stage one by one.