Qatar has been criticized heavily for its role in the World Cup. Of course, the Arabian country is hosting the tournament, and it has led to all sorts of controversy. From FIFA’s corruption to Qatar’s human rights record, people are not happy with their hosting.
Additionally, there have been rumblings that thousands of people have died while helping to build stadiums for the World Cup. The number that has been floated around is 6500 people, however, Qatar officials have stated that only 40 have died.
Assim Madibo (C) and Ali Asad of Qatar celebrate after the 0-2 loss during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group A match between Netherlands and Qatar at Al Bayt Stadium on November 29, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Qatar Reveals New Death Toll
In a new interview with Piers Morgan, Qatar World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi revealed that the death toll is higher than they once reported. “Between 400 and 500,” he said. “I don’t have the exact number. That’s something that’s being discussed.”
Subsequently, this led to a larger discussion about workers’ rights and labor protections. Al-Thawadi admitted that there is still work to be done, however, the country is working hard to right its previous wrongs.
“I think overall the need for labor reform in itself dictates that yes, improvements have to happen,” he revealed. “This was something that was recognized before we bid. The improvements that have happened aren’t because of the World Cup. These are improvements that we knew that we had to do because of our own values”
Overall, the World Cup games have been interesting. Regardless, there is still a sense of discomfort around the country hosting the tournament. It’s an interesting dichotomy, although Qatar seems to be happy with the product thus far.
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