This year’s World Cup was held in Qatar. When FIFA decided the 2022 World Cup location, FIFA fans were quick to call out Qatar’s history of human rights violations.
According to NPR, a 2021 study found that there has been, “more than 6,500 migrant workers from five south Asian countries had died in Qatar since 2010 from all causes – workplace accidents, car crashes, suicides and deaths from other causes, including the heat.”
Qatar also has a long history of other human rights violations. Qatar has criminalized homosexuality and rape victims have been prosecuted due to Qatar’s penal code which criminalizes sex outside of the realm of marriage.
This year’s World Cup was filled with political tensions.
During the Portugal vs. Uruguay match, a protester ran onto the field holding a rainbow flag and wearing a shirt that displayed the phrase “Save Ukraine” on the front and “Respect for Iranian women” on the back.
The phrase “Respect for Iranian women” seemed to be a motivator in the political tensions during this year’s World Cup. All eyes were on Iran..
Protests broke out in Iran and all over the world after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, died on Sept. 13 after she was taken into custody by the Iranian morality police for not covering her hair with a hijab.
The tensions between the United States and Iran were apparent during the press conferences. Iranian journalists were determined to ask questions that would put the United State’s players and coach on the spot. The journalists asked questions inquiring about the United States’ discrimination and inflation making for an incredibly uncomfortable press conference.
Although the press conferences were quite the spectacle, the United States ended up victorious over Iran, dominating the game 1-0.
The 2022 World Cup is the perfect example of the pivotal role sports play in politics. Sports can go unnoticed in the political conversation, but sports give countries, fans and journalists a say in front of an international audience.