Hosts Go Down 2–0 to Ecuador in WC Opener

Qatar oil billions can’t produce decent team

Qatari keep Al-Sheeb fouls Ecuadoran forward Valencia. (YouTube screengrab)

After months of complaints, accusations of bribery and human rights abuse allegations, the 2022 World Cup finally kicked off on Sunday with a disappointing game for host Qatar.

The 2022 World Cup will go down as one of the most controversial tournaments in history. I thought the 1978 World Cup, held in Argentina which was ruled by a military junta with a terrible human rights record, was awful, but this one comes in close.

Where do you start? There’re the deaths of migrant laborers who built the stadiums. Some of these workers make as little as $500 a month, according to a Washington Post article. The Guardian estimates 6,500 workers have died since Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010.

Revealed: 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup awarded

Marred by Controversies

There’s the fact that Qatar is not a democracy, it’s ruled by a royal family like a lot of the oil-rich countries. And there are severe restrictions on visitors to the nation.