World Cup should not have gone to Qatar because of human rights alone

While various organisations such as the US Department of Justice and the Swiss government launch investigations into financial irregularities in FIFA, the true cost of football corruption should be measured not in dollars but in dead bodies.

Allegations of bribery are nothing new for FIFA, especially since its controversial decision to grant Qatar the 2022 World Cup. But the sheer scale of the death toll in that gulf state over the last few years must completely overshadow financial matters and give everyone associated with football pause for thought.

It is an appalling and horrific fact that since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar in 2010 the death toll for migrant workers stands at over 1,200. The majority of these workers have been worked to death as the World Cup infrastructure programme there accelerates to meet the 2022 deadline. The projected death toll by the start of the 2022 World Cup is conservatively forcast by the International Trade Union Confederation to stand at over 4,000.

To put this figure in perspective, if a minutes silence were to be observed for each dead worker prior to the opening match, the game would be delayed by almost three days. In comparison one worker lost their life in preparation for the London Olympics and two for the 2010 South African World Cup.

Migrant labourers make up about 90 per cent of Qatar’s population and human rights organisations such as Amnesty International have highlighted what they term as the “rampant exploitation” of these workers.

Amnesty has described the slave-like working conditions, human rights abuses and the broken promises and lack of effective reform by the local authorities.

The Amnesty International briefing document Qatar: Promising Little, Delivering Less

— Qatar and migrant labour abuse ahead of the 2022 Football World Cup should be compulsory reading for every football fan, administrator and politician.

If the ongoing investigations find that the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup was indeed corrupted by illegal payments and bribes then not only should the games be awarded to a more civilised nation that will respect workers rights but the more serious charges of manslaughter or murder should be contemplated against the indivudals involved.

Kevin P McCarthy

Ardteegalvan

Headford,

Killarney

Co Kerry