The World Cup Squads and Preamble; And it's ... Live!!

Kuchinghammer

My guess is that this World Cup will have a very flat atmosphere. Much like golf events in Saudi. Reporting will be strictly limited to gushing praise, fans will stay in their hotels, and be on their best behaviour outside and in the stadia. Will this effect the football? Don't know. 🤔

nychammer66

I have no enthusiasm for this World Cup. It should never have been given to Qatar. They treated their foreign contractors badly and they violate human rights. A sad chapter for football, IMO.

alderz

I have very mixed feelings. I love the World Cup, and I will watch England games. But I also feel a bit of guilt and maybe shame about watching it. I really hate that this is the World Cup we’re getting.

thornburyiron

Infantino’s ludicrous speech isn’t helping things. Almost an acknowledgment to being in the pay of the Qataris.

buffybegood

I think Kuching is right and the atmosphere, in general, will be pretty flat. I think there's been a huge mis-calculation by both Qatar and FIFA as to any positive effects this World Cup will have, as all I see is huge negatives for both.

Qatar has gone from a non-entity country for most people to one now known worldwise for its appalling human rights record in particular wrt its migrant workers and the LGBT community, and FIFA, which for a long time has been synonymous with corruption, has kowtowed to everything Qatar has wanted, not least by allowing the switch to a winter World Cup, but also recently by trying to restrict any non-football comments by players or teams, by re-arranging the Qatar-Equador game, and by banning alcohol at grounds at 2 days notice.

IronHerb

Surely one of the benefits, probably the only, of having the World Cup in Qatar is the highlighting of these issues. These would have got barely any exposure if this wasn't happening.

nychammer66

IronHerb said:

Surely one of the benefits, probably the only, of having the World Cup in Qatar is the highlighting of these issues. These would have got barely any exposure if this wasn't happening.

You are an optimist.

IronHerb

I am an optimist but Qatar human rights would not be on the agenda at all but for the World Cup. The spotlight will move on afterwards but at least it has highlighted the issue.

thornburyiron

Highlighted the issue where. Everybody knew what happens there but Qatar couldn’t care less what anyone outside is saying and will continue as normal as soon as the World Cup is over.

IronHerb

So when, prior to the World Cup being allocated, did you read regularly in the papers or see reports on the TV, including sports programmes, the issues in Qatar? I for one didn't.

buffybegood

IronHerb said:

So when, prior to the World Cup being allocated, did you read regularly in the papers or see reports on the TV, including sports programmes, the issues in Qatar? I for one didn't.

But, let's be honest, what's the chances of there being lasting changes for the better once the World Cup is done and dusted? I agree the scrutiny has raised awareness, I'm just not confident such an autocratic state really cares tbh.

thornburyiron

IH no I didn’t but since 2010 when it was allocated there’s been little else when the World Cup there has been mentioned.
By early next year I doubt it will be mentioned again because Qatar doesn’t figure in most people’s lives.

nychammer66

There was article on bbc news last night about the Nepali workers who went to Qatar. They had to borrow money to pay for the privilege of being slave labour, and then they didn’t get paid what they were promised. A total rip off.

OutcastLondoner

nychammer66 said:

There was article on bbc news last night about the Nepali workers who went to Qatar. They had to borrow money to pay for the privilege of being slave labour, and then they didn’t get paid what they were promised. A total rip off.

It’s really common in South Asia for migrant workers. I’ve met and interviewed lots of people like this (including my own cousins). Middlemen in their villages recruit them but they often have to pay them and the companies to get access to everything. Their visas are tied up to their employer, who even takes their passport.

A few hours in Dhaka airport reveals a lot of the indignity of how people are herded to these jobs. I’ve even been on a flight that went from Kathmandu with Nepali workers to Dhaka where it picked up Bangladeshi workers and then went to Qatar, like some kind of work bus.

The problem of them taking on debt and then being abandoned by employers happens in England as well though - right now https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/13/seasonal-fruit-pickers-left-thousands-in-debt-after-being-sent-home-early-from-uk-farms?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1668323042

jay_in_cpt

thornburyiron said:

Infantino’s ludicrous speech isn’t helping things. Almost an acknowledgment to being in the pay of the Qataris.

Thornburyiron 👍🏻
I’d go further and say his speech was damn right out of order.
Disgusting IMO

Fortuneseeker

Infantino is due to be re-elected unopposed. I wish there was a credible candidate to stand against him even more so after his latest speech.

IronHerb

thornburyiron said:

Highlighted the issue where. Everybody knew what happens there but Qatar couldn’t care less what anyone outside is saying and will continue as normal as soon as the World Cup is over.

So where prior to the award of the World Cup was it regularly reported?

thornburyiron

That’s my point. It wasn’t before and it won’t be afterwards. All the virtue signalling in the world will have absolutely no influence with the Qataris at all. They bought the World Cup and they will carry on as they always have

alderz

thornburyiron said:

That’s my point. It wasn’t before and it won’t be afterwards. All the virtue signalling in the world will have absolutely no influence with the Qataris at all. They bought the World Cup and they will carry on as they always have

But isn’t the idea that a backlash, a boycott, whatever, will make FIFA change their approach to awarding tournaments, or Coca Cola or Budweiser wanting to sponsor it. Qatar might not change, but we don’t need another World Cup in a place like Qatar.

buffybegood

alderz said:

thornburyiron said:

That’s my point. It wasn’t before and it won’t be afterwards. All the virtue signalling in the world will have absolutely no influence with the Qataris at all. They bought the World Cup and they will carry on as they always have

But isn’t the idea that a backlash, a boycott, whatever, will make FIFA change their approach to awarding tournaments, or Coca Cola or Budweiser wanting to sponsor it. Qatar might not change, but we don’t need another World Cup in a place like Qatar.

That's a different matter though, and, as I mentioned above, I'm sure even FIFA will have changed its selection criteria for future hosts.

thornburyiron

Alderz a backlash won’t work because it will be ignored as it has by both FIFA, the FA’s of each competing nation and Qatar. The only possible effective means is for countries to boycott the tournament and refuse to play in it and that’s never going to happen. If the countries in 2010 had said not to award it to Qatar as we will not participate it may have done something.
The last one had Infanito cuddling up to Putin and the World Cup didn’t stop him annexing Crimea.
At infanito’s press conference Bryan Swanson the English FIFA media rep was backing him all the way so all the FIFA lot are all in it for the same thing, money.

PrestonHammer

I won't be watching it today and won't be watching any of the group games as I'll be working. The World Cup seems a bit meh to me as it's the wrong time of year and obviously who's hosting it. I know Russia have a bad human rights record but at least they have a World Cup record having taken part in them.

buffybegood

I'll be watching today (just the match) and really supporting Equador 🤞🤞🤞.

IronHerb

thornburyiron said:

That’s my point. It wasn’t before and it won’t be afterwards. All the virtue signalling in the world will have absolutely no influence with the Qataris at all. They bought the World Cup and they will carry on as they always have

Thats what I said.

Fortuneseeker

thornbury, Didn't Bryan Swanson also come out as gay at the same time?

thornburyiron

I think he did but not sure if it was a coming out or a similar ludicrous statement to Infantino’s of being gay for the day.
If it was genuine then he chose a good place to do it.

chicagohammer

thornburyiron said:

That’s my point. It wasn’t before and it won’t be afterwards. All the virtue signalling in the world will have absolutely no influence with the Qataris at all. They bought the World Cup and they will carry on as they always have

The question in my mind is why did they want it, with the building of infrastructure and stuffing of envelopes, it must have cost them a proper fortune and it is not as if they are going to get any “goodwill” out of it.

It is what it is and we are where we are, I can only hope that Ecuador give them a proper stuffing

thornburyiron

Another rumour is that FIFA have instructed referees to book captains who wear the LGBTQ supporting armbands. If they do then the third group games would all have new captains except for Qatar.
In a way I hope it’s true as it would make Infantino’s rant even more ludicrous, if that is in fact possible.

Fortuneseeker

thorn, It was bold to literally come out but I am unsure how doing it was going to back Infantino in what he was trying to achieve? Another rumour is that Qatar have been getting an extremely large amount of penalties in their warm up games so on that basis, a bit like North Korea having won everything in world sport, shall we just give them the trophy now?

buffybegood

chicagohammer said:

The question in my mind is why did they want it, with the building of infrastructure and stuffing of envelopes, it must have cost them a proper fortune and it is not as if they are going to get any “goodwill” out of it.

Personally I think they made a huge mis-calculation; I'm sure they expected that holding such a prestigious event would be nothing but good publicity for the country, but all they've done is raise awareness worldwide of their appalling human rights record that I'm sure many if not most weren't previously aware of. Being honest, Qatar wasn't really on my radar before it was awarded the World Cup, and I suspect I'm not the only one, but now all I've got is a very negative opinion of the country.