Reading about The Beautiful Game Pt. 2
3 of my favorite kits: Clockwise: Senegal, U.S.A., and France.
To watch, or not to watch The 2022 World Cup. THAT is the question.
Whether ‘tis nobler to ignore the monthlong competition born of corrupt, inhumane circumstances that brought about this unnatural (a World Cup in November?!) event or watch and feel icky…
2022. Qatar. What an unmitigated mess. The World Cup in Qatar begins this Sunday and I can’t get into the spirit.
To begin with, FIFA, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is a dirty, corrupt organization that rules world football. Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022) bribed FIFA officials to secure their way into being host countries. Russia faced some criticism about its illegal, immoral interference in Syria, incursions into other sovereign states, anti-LGBTQIA policies, and more. The World Cup in Qatar is garnering even more deserved criticism for 1) bribing FIFA officials to become a host country. 2) lying about its ability to host a safe tournament during the World Cup’s natural season of summer (thus messing up club schedules, and exacerbating players’ injuries), 3) exploiting workers to build the necessary infrastructure to welcome the world resulting in 4) unnecessary, inhumane workers’ deaths oh and on top of that 5) arresting and harassing LGTBQIA people.
It’s hard for me to feel celebratory after all of that. And I wish I did. I truly love soccer and the World Cup, but I’ve had a really hard time figuring out what to do about these negative feelings. I can’t unknow the truth of human beings dying for entertainment, so instead, I’ve been revisiting my favorite football books and reading articles from authors who are shining a light on the context of this World Cup.
Recommended Reading & Listening
“Every football fan will have their own different emotional connection with the World Cup, but the one thing that I believe that it offers all of us is escapism: where, for one whole month, we are able to distract ourselves from many of the planet’s problems by immersing ourselves in its supreme drama. This time around, though, the World Cup offers no escape: the global woe is to be found in Qatar itself.”- Musa Okwonga
Why this World Cup feels so wrong x Musa Okwonga. I’d listen or read Musa talk about any subject and he’s especially good at discussing the toughest subjects. A must-read.
The World Cup’s Forgotten Team x Tariq Panja and Bhadra Sharma. Focuses on Nepalese workers and their communities affected by workers’ deaths.
Qatar World Cup of Shame x Amnesty International
World Corrupt x Tommy Vietor (Obama Administration, Crooked Media) and Roger Bennett (Men in Blazers soccer media) take a look at sportswashing and what happens when soccer and politics mix.
World Cup 2022 Preview x Stadio (Musa Okwonga and Ryan Hunn). They spend about the first 20 minutes talking their feelings about this year’s tournament, the many issues surrounding it, and why this feels like a pivotal moment in global football’s history. A must-listen.
FIFA and the World Cup: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) and FIFA Pt. 2
Want to take Action?
Consider supporting Alwan Foundation, a project of The Center for Immigrant Protection/The LGBT Asylum Project. The Alwan Foundation hopes to advance LGBTQ+ rights in the Middle East with a focus on the Gulf region and was created by Dr. Nas Mohamed is the first Qatari to come out as gay publicly and is seeking asylum.
FIFA is under pressure to set aside $440 million for these workers - the same amount that will be awarded to the competing teams. Lend your voice, through a petition, to try to pressure FIFA to compensate the deceased workers’ families.
Whether you choose to watch or try your best to ignore this spectacle, I think it’s important to understand the context of why this World Cup is different and diminished.