The 2022 FIFA World Cup is just around the corner, it is one of the most important events in the world to close this year, but unfortunately the host is receiving the worst criticism due to their poor human rights record.
Qatar is the country chosen to host the World Cup, but a large part of the soccer fans around the world did not agree with the selection, including some players like Philip Laham who harshly criticized the upcoming 2022 World Cup.
Until now only the Socceroos had the courage to express their opinion on the human rights situation in Qatar and other issues such as the treatment of migrant workers.
What did the Socceroos say about the Qatari government?
It was not a single player, it was several of them who declared in a video that was published by the Professional Footballers of Australia social media account. The response was positive from fans but others criticized how late the Socceroos posted the video as they had to do it months before the start of the World Cup.
In the video statement, the socceroos emphasize the same-sex relationship (it is illegal in Qatar), in addition to the fact that the players want Qatar to have better rights for national and foreign workers.
The response of the Qatari government was not aggressive, they responded immediately by pointing out that the Qatari Government is working and has made different reforms for the benefit of human rights in the country. The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (World Cup organizer in Qatar) added “no country is perfect”.