Football and human rights: the case of the victims in Qatar

There is a moral problem that affects international football: the organization of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. According to an investigation by the “Guardian” newspaper, the victims among the workers who work on the construction of the stadiums have already reached 6,500. On the sad accounting, there are no comments from athletes and managers, who are silent about a massacre in their service. The working conditions, inhumane bordering on slavery, which concern unprotected workers and moved exclusively by need, should be sufficient to mobilize the billionaires who will be the protagonists of the game meetings, which will take place on structures built on the blood of workers from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines and Kenya. These workers are deprived of every right, even the right to resign, because their passport is withdrawn and the hygienic conditions in which they are made to live are themselves a cause that contributes to the increase in the number of deaths. The average of two victims per day could even be an underestimate, because the authorities do not allow the circulation of news and provide the official figure of just 37 victims due to accidents at work. Of course the strategy of not wanting to include among the dead those who died from heart attack, stress, heat and other pathologies, even if directly connected to the activity on construction sites, reduces the total bill, but the scarce consideration of foreign workers, sacrificed to carry out the football event remains a big stain on the entire international football movement. It should be remembered that, however, the constructive effort concerns not only the construction of sports facilities, but also a whole series of infrastructures that will be used for the practical development of the world championship, such as roads, airports, integrated communication systems and hotels to welcome the delegations of the teams involved in competitions. If Qatar’s denials may appear obvious in the logic of a country that is not a democracy, the behavior of the leaders of world football appears less coherent, however, already warned by an estimate, moreover outdated, of 2013, carried out by an organization international union, which spoke of a forecast of 4,000 victims; just as the football associations are silent: an incomprehensible and unjustified silence, if not from the financial vision of the return on investment of a world championship played at those latitudes. 2022 is very close, but a justified reaction, in an ideal world, could be the boycott of athletes and nations to a world championship spoiled by such a heavy starting situation: a reaction that could be understood and understood by the large part of the fans. and football fans. In the meantime, the international management could, at least, carry out an inquiry into the real working conditions of those who have hitherto been employed in the construction of an event, which could backfire precisely against world football. Sponsors should also evaluate their support for these world championships, consumer sensitivity has greatly increased in the face of certain issues and the response of viewers may also suffer a decrease, which could have explanations consistent with reactions to this state of affairs. In any case, sport should not be mixed with such low-level practices for the respect of human rights.