Qatar 2022 World Cup: 15 quotes on Qatar 2022 ahead of the tournament - including comments from Steve Clarke, Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger
The Qatar 2022 World Cup has received criticism over the country’s human rights record and treatment of workers. Here’s what 15 prominent voices have said about the tournament.
We are now just days away from the beginning of the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, and while fans naturally have excitement over football’s biggest prize, the FIFA tournament will arrived with a chorus of criticism.
The first World Cup to take place in the middle of a European season, FIFA have received widespread outrage at their decision to host a the competition in a country that currently has a more-than-questionable human rights record.
Many footballers, musicians and celebrities have spoken out again the tournament, with Lionesses’ star Beth Mead and Germany boss Hansi Flick being more than blunt in their assessment, while the likes of David Beckham, Graeme Souness and legendary former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger have praised the decision.
Whichever way you look at it, it will be a tournament like no other we’ve experienced.
“I will be supporting the men’s team, but I won’t be watching. It’s hard to talk about but at the end of the day, we’re one team here at England and we know that they have an opportunity to play at a World Cup and it’s hard to look beyond that really.” Photo: Alex Burstow
“It’s a tournament, it's there, and we all let it happen and it's fine because 12 years ago nobody did anything then. We cannot change it now." Photo: Mike Hewitt
“There is currently a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the world cup in Qatar. I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform. I will be cheering England on from afar and I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup.” Photo: Don Arnold
“We should never again have a World Cup that fails to respect basic human rights and has none of the expected assurances and protections.” Photo: Alex Wong