The 2022 FIFA World Cup (Brazilian Portuguese) or 2022 FIFA World Cup (European Portuguese) was the twenty-second edition of that sporting event, an international men's football tournament organized by the International Football Federation (FIFA) that took place in Qatar. This edition was the first held in the Middle East, and was the last to have the 32-team format, since a change in the format and number of teams is expected in the next edition, the 2026, whose host countries will be Canada, United States and Mexico, passing through 48 teams. With seven host cities, the championship was played between November 20 and December 18, instead of the traditional period due to the high temperatures that the country suffers in the middle of the year; this was the first time a World Cup had been played at the end of the year.[1][2] Corruption accusations were made after Qatar won the right to host the championship. FIFA carried out an internal investigation into these allegations and acquitted Qatar of any wrongdoing.[3] On 27 May 2015, Swiss federal prosecutors opened an investigation into corruption and money laundering in the 2018 and 2022 host city elections.[4][5] On 7 June 2015, it was announced that Qatar could lose the right to host the championship, following allegations of bribery. According to Domenico Scala, representative of FIFA's audit, the complaints arose after the announcement of the result of the vote for the election of the host city.[6] However, no evidence was proven and Qatar was confirmed as the host of this edition.Qatar was criticized for the conditions of workers in the new stadiums for the competition, with Amnesty International referring to the situation of workers who suffered human rights abuses as slave labor, violating several rules of the institution.[8] FIFA presented the official mascot of the 2022 World Cup, called La'eeb, a traditional men's headscarf from Arab culture. According to FIFA, the word La'eeb means "skilled player" in Arabic.[9] For the first time in the history of the World Cup, the host country of the world started the competition with a defeat, since Qatar was overcome in a score of 2x0 against the selection of Ecuador. According to tradition, the host always debuts with a win or a draw.[10] In addition, he also became the second organizer not to advance to the Round of 16 since South Africa in 2010.[11] The edition was also marked by the famous zebras, which caused the defeats of Argentina against the selection of Saudi Arabia and Brazil against the selection of Cameroon, both in the group stage.[12][13] The selection of Morocco turned out to be the great surprise of this Cup, since it advanced to the knockout round in an unprecedented leadership, eliminating the strong selections of Spain and Portugal in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively, suffering their only defeats against France in the semifinals and Croatia in the dispute for third place. It was also the first time that an African team advanced to a World Cup semifinal, in addition to winning fourth position, also being the best result on the continent.[14][15] Japan and South Korea would return to the finals after 20 years, also experiencing unexpected results.[16][17] The French team would join Italy (1934-1938), Brazil (1958-1962; 1994-1998-2002), Argentina (1986-1990) and West Germany (1982-1986-1990) as the team reached a grand final two or three times in a row.[18][19] Argentina would advance to a decision after eight years, causing two teams to dispute the third championship, something that only happened in 1994, when Brazil and Italy disputed for the fourth championship, won by Brazil.[20] In a penalty shootout, the hermano team won its third title in one of the finals being considered the best of all time, breaking a 36-year fast without winning a World Cup, in addition to ending a winning streak of European teams imposed since 2006.
| FIFA World Cup Congresso Ordinário da FIFA 2 de dezembro de 2010, em Zurique,  Suíça . | |||||
| Países candidatos | 1.ª Round | 2.ª Round | 3.ª Round | 4.ª Round | |
 Catar | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | |
 Estados Unidos | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | |
 Coreia do Sul | 4 | 5 | 5 | – | |
 Japão | 3 | 2 | – | – | |
 Austrália | 1 | – | – | ||
AFC (6)
CAF (5) | CONCACAF (4)
CONMEBOL (4) OFC (0)
| UEFA (13)
Group AThe first match of the tournament was held between Qatar and Ecuador in Group A. Ecuador had a disallowed goal in the opening minutes,[149] but eventually won 2–0 with two goals from Enner Valencia.[150] Qatar became the first host nation to lose their opening match at a World Cup.[151][152][153] Many Qatar natives were seen leaving the game before the end, with ESPN reporting that two-thirds of the attendance had left.[154][155] The other starting match in group A was won by the Netherlands 2–0 over Senegal. Cody Gakpo scored the opening goal in the 84th minute and Davy Klaassen added a second in stoppage time.[156] Senegal faced Qatar in the third match of the group; Boulaye Dia capitalised on a slip by Boualem Khoukhi to put Senegal 1–0 ahead. Famara Diédhiou scored a second with a header, before Mohammed Muntari scored Qatar's first-ever goal at a World Cup to reduce the deficit back to one. Senegal eventually won the match 3–1 after an 84th-minute goal by Bamba Dieng. With this result, Qatar became the first team to be eliminated from the tournament, as well as becoming the first host nation to ever be knocked out of the tournament after two games.[157] Gakpo scored his second goal of the tournament as the Netherlands led Ecuador; however, Valencia scored an equaliser in the 49th minute.[158] The Netherlands won 2–0 against Qatar following goals by Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong to win the group, while Qatar attained the distinction of being the first home nation to lose all three group matches.[159] Senegal faced Ecuador to determine the second knockout round qualifier. At the end of the first half, Ismaïla Sarr scored a penalty kick to put Senegal ahead. In the 67th minute, Moisés Caicedo scored an equaliser, but shortly after, Kalidou Koulibaly gave Senegal the victory. The win was enough to qualify Senegal as the runners-up of Group A.[160]
Group BEngland completed a 6–2 victory over Iran. Iranian keeper Alireza Beiranvand was removed from the game for a suspected concussion before England scored three first-half goals.[161] Mehdi Taremi scored in the second half after which England defender Harry Maguire was also removed for a concussion.[161] Timothy Weah, of the United States, scored a first-half goal against Wales; however, the match finished as a draw after a penalty kick was won and scored by Gareth Bale.[162] Iran defeated Wales 2–0 following a red card to Welsh goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey after he committed a foul outside of his penalty area. Substitute Rouzbeh Cheshmi scored the first goal eight minutes into stoppage time, followed by Ramin Rezaeian scoring three minutes later.[163] England and the United States played to a 0–0 draw, with only four shots on target between them.[164] England won the group following a 3–0 win over Wales with a goal by Phil Foden and two by Rashford.[165] Christian Pulisic scored the winning goal as the United States defeated Iran 1–0 to qualify for the round of 16.[166]
Source: FIFA Group CArgentina took an early lead against Saudi Arabia after Lionel Messi scored a penalty kick after ten minutes; however, second-half goals by Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari won the match 2–1 for Saudi Arabia,[167] a result described as "the biggest upset in the history of the World Cup."[168][169] The match between Mexico and Poland ended as a goalless 0–0 draw after Guillermo Ochoa saved Robert Lewandowski's penalty kick attempt.[170] Lewandowski scored his first career World Cup goal in a 2–0 win over Saudi Arabia four days later.[171][172] Argentina defeated Mexico 2–0, with Messi scoring the opener and teammate Enzo Fernández scoring his first international goal.[173][174] Argentina won their last game as they played Poland with goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez which was enough to win the group.[175] Mexico scored two goals against Saudi Arabia, and with the Argentina leading 2–0 over Poland they only required a single goal to qualify as the runner-up based on the tie-breaker of number of goals scored in all group matches, after Al-Dawsari scored a goal in stoppage time for Saudi Arabia. Despite losing by two goals to Argentina, Poland qualified for the knockout stage on goal difference.[176]
Source: FIFA Group DThe match between Denmark and Tunisia ended as a goalless draw; both teams had goals disallowed by offside calls.[177] Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen made his first major international appearance since suffering a cardiac arrest at the UEFA Euro 2020.[177] Defending champions France went a goal behind to Australia, after a Craig Goodwin goal within ten minutes. France, however, scored four goals, by Adrien Rabiot, by Kylian Mbappé, and two by Olivier Giroud to win 4–1.[178] The goals tied Giroud with Thierry Henry as France's all-time top goalscorer.[178] Mitchell Duke scored the only goal as Australia won against Tunisia. This was their first World Cup win since 2010.[179][180] Mbappé scored a brace as France defeated Denmark 2–1. This was enough for France to qualify for the knockout round – the first time since Brazil in 2006 that the defending champions progressed through the opening round.[181][179] Mathew Leckie scored the only goal as Australia defeated Denmark 1–0, qualifying for the knockout round as runners-up with the win.[182] Wahbi Khazri scored for Tunisia against France in the 58th minute. Although Antoine Griezmann equalised in stoppage time it was overturned for offside. Tunisia finished third in the group, as they required a draw in the Denmark and Australia game.[183]
Source: FIFA Group EGroup E began with Japan facing 2014 champions Germany. After an early penalty kick was converted by Germany's İlkay Gündoğan, Japan scored two second-half goals by Ritsu Dōan and Takuma Asano in a 2–1 upset win.[184] In the second group match, Spain defeated Costa Rica 7–0. First-half goals by Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio, and Ferran Torres were followed by goals by Gavi, Carlos Soler, Alvaro Morata, and a second by Torres.[185][186] This was the largest defeat in a World Cup since Portugal's victory over North Korea in the 2010 event by the same scoreline.[187] Costa Rica defeated Japan 1–0, with Keysher Fuller scoring with Costa Rica's first shot on target of the tournament.[188] Germany and Spain drew 1–1, with Álvaro Morata scoring for Spain and Niclas Füllkrug scoring for Germany.[189][190][191] Morata scored the opening goal for Spain against Japan as they controlled the first half of the match.[192] Japan equalised on Ritsu Doan before a second goal by Kaoru Mitoma was heavily investigated by VAR for the ball being out of play. The goal was awarded, and Japan won the group following a 2–1 win.[193] Serge Gnabry scored on ten minutes for Germany against Costa Rica and they lead until half-time. Germany required a win, and for Japan to not win their match to qualify. In the second half, goals by Yeltsin Tejeda and Juan Vargas gave Costa Rica a 2–1 lead, which would have qualified them into the knockout stages ahead of Spain. Germany scored three further goals—two by Kai Havertz and a goal by Niclas Fullkrug, ending in a 4–2 win for Germany—which was not enough to qualify them for the final stages.[194] Japan won the group ahead of Spain.[195]
Source: FIFA
Attendance: 40,013 Group FGroup F's first match was a goalless draw between Morocco and Croatia.[196] Canada had a penalty kick in the first half of their match against Belgium which was saved by Thibaut Courtois. Belgium won the match by a single goal by Michy Batshuayi.[197] Belgium manager Roberto Martínez confirmed after the game that he believed Canada to have been the better team.[198] Belgium lost 2–0 to Morocco, despite Morocco having a long-range direct free kick goal by Hakim Ziyech overturned for an offside on another player in the lead up to the goal. Two second-half goals from Zakaria Aboukhlal and Romain Saïss helped the Morocco win their first World Cup match since 1998.[199][200] The match sparked riots in Belgium, with residents fires and fireworks being set off.[201] Alphonso Davies scored Canada's first World Cup goal to give Canada the lead over Croatia. Goals by Marko Livaja, Lovro Majer, and two by Andrej Kramarić for Croatia completed a 4–1 victory.[202] Morocco scored two early goals through Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri in their game against Canada and qualified following a 2–1 victory.[203] Croatia and Belgium played a goalless draw which eliminated Belgium, whose team is ranked second in the world, from the tournament.[204]
Source: FIFA Group GBreel Embolo scored the only goal in Switzerland's 1–0 defeat of Cameroon.[205] Richarlison scored two goals as Brazil won against Serbia, with star player Neymar receiving an ankle injury.[206] Cameroon's Jean-Charles Castelletto scored the opening goal against Serbia, but they were quickly behind as Serbia scored three goals by Strahinja Pavlović, Sergej Milinković-Savić, and Aleksandar Mitrović either side of half time. Cameroon, however, scored goals through Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, completing a 3–3 draw.[207] An 83rd-minute winner by Casemiro for Brazil over Switzerland was enough for them to qualify for the knockout stage.[208] Having already qualified, Brazil were unable to win their final group game, as they were defeated by Cameroon 1–0 following a goal by Vincent Aboubakar. He was later sent off for removing his shirt in celebrating the goal.[209] Cameroon, however, did not qualify, as Switzerland defeated Serbia 3–2.[210]
Source: FIFA
Attendance: 39,789 Group HUruguay and South Korea played to a goalless draw.[211] A goalless first half between Portugal and Ghana preceded a penalty converted by Cristiano Ronaldo to give Portugal the lead. In scoring the goal, Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups. Ghana responded with a goal by André Ayew before goals by João Félix, and Rafael Leão by Portugal put them 3–1 ahead. Osman Bukari scored in the 89th minute to trail by a single goal, while Iñaki Williams had a chance to equalise for Ghana ten minutes into stoppage time, but slipped before shooting. The match finished 3–2 to Portugal.[212] Ghanaian Mohammed Salisu opened the scoring against South Korea, with Mohammed Kudus following it up. In the second half, Cho Gue-sung scored a brace for South Korea, levelling the score. Mohammed Kudus scored again in the 68th minute, winning the match 3–2 for Ghana.[213] Portugal defeated Uruguay 2–0 with two goals from Bruno Fernandes, advancing them to the knockout stage.[214] A controversial penalty decision was called late in the game, with a suspected handball from José María Giménez.[215][216] Portugal led South Korea through Ricardo Horta after 10 minutes. However, goals by Kim Young-gwon and Hwang Hee-chan won the match 2–1 for South Korea.[217] Giorgian de Arrascaeta scored two goals as Uruguay defeated Ghana 2–0.[218] However, with South Korea winning, Uruguay required another goal to progress as they finished third on goals scored.[219] Several Uruguay players left the pitch after the game surrounding the referees and followed them off the pitch.[220][221][222]
Source: FIFA
Knockout stageIn the knockout stage, if the scores were equal when normal playing time expires, extra time was played for two periods of 15 minutes each. This was followed, if required, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winners.[148] Bracket
Round of 16The round of 16 was played from 3 to 7 December.[33] Group A winners Netherlands scored goals through Memphis Depay, Daley Blind and Denzel Dumfries as they defeated the United States 3–1, with Haji Wright scoring for the United States.[223] Messi scored his third of the tournament alongside Julián Álvarez to give Argentina a two-goal lead over Australia and despite a Enzo Fernández own goal from a Craig Goodwin shot, Argentina won 2–1.[224] Olivier Giroud's goal and Mbappé's brace enabled France to have a 3–1 victory over Poland, with Robert Lewandowski scoring the lone goal for Poland from a penalty.[225] England beat Senegal 3–0, with goals coming from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka.[226] Daizen Maeda scored for Japan against Croatia in the first half before a leveller from Ivan Perišić in the second. Neither team could find the winner, with Croatia defeating Japan 3–1 in a penalty shoot-out.[227] Vinícius Júnior, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paquetá all scored for Brazil, but a volley from South Korean Paik Seung-ho reduced the deficit to 4–1.[228] The match between Morocco and Spain finished as a goalless draw after 90 minutes, sending the match to extra time. Neither team could score a goal in extra time; Morocco won the match 3–0 on penalties.[229] A hat-trick by Gonçalo Ramos led Portugal to defeat Switzerland 6–1, with goals from Portugal's Pepe, Raphaël Guerreiro and Rafael Leão and from Switzerland's Manuel Akanji.[230]
Quarter-finalsThe quarter-finals were played on 9 and 10 December.[33] Croatia and Brazil ended 0–0 after 90 minutes and went to extra time. Neymar scored for Brazil in the 15th minute of extra time. Croatia, however, equalised through Bruno Petković in the second period of extra time. With the match tied, a penalty shootout decided the contest, with Croatia winning the shoot-out 4–2.[231][232] In the second quarter-final match, Nahuel Molina and Messi scored for Argentina before Wout Weghorst equalised with two goals shortly before the end of the game. The match went to extra time and then penalties, where Argentina would go on to win 4–3.[233] Morocco defeated Portugal 1–0, with Youssef En-Nesyri scoring at the end of the first half. Morocco became the first African and the first Arab nation to advance as far as the semi-finals of the competition.[234] Despite Harry Kane scoring a penalty for England, it was not enough to beat France, who won 2–1 by virtue of goals from Aurélien Tchouaméni and Olivier Giroud, sending them to their second consecutive World Cup semi-final and becoming the first defending champions to reach this stage since Brazil in 1998.[235][236] Semi-finalsThe semi-finals were played on 13 and 14 December.[33] Messi scored a penalty kick before Julián Álvarez scored twice to give Argentina a 3–0 victory over Croatia.[237] Théo Hernandez scored after five minutes as France led Morocco for most of the game and later Randal Kolo Muani scored on 78 minutes to complete a 2–0 victory for France over Morocco as they reached a second consecutive final.[238] Third place play-offThe third place play-off was played on 17 December. Joško Gvardiol promptly scored for Croatia, with Achraf Dari equalising just 2 minutes later. Mislav Oršić scored the winner for Croatia as the match finished 2–1.[239] Morocco earned 4th place, a record for the team and the best World Cup finish of any African or Arab nation.[240] FinalThe final was played on 18 December between Argentina and France. Both teams had won the event twice previously.[241] Early goals from Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria gave Argentina a head start against the French, leading 2–0.[241][242] Despite multiple substitutions in the first half, France did not record a shot until after the 70th minute, but were energised by additional substitutions in the 71st. A few minutes later, France were awarded a penalty as Randal Kolo Muani was brought down in the penalty area. Mbappé scored the penalty, and added a second goal less than two minutes later to equalise the scores.[242] With the score tied at two goals apiece, the match went to extra time. Messi scored his second goal in the 108th minute, once again giving Argentina the lead. However, Mbappé was awarded a second penalty in the 115th minute after his shot hit the arm of Gonzalo Montiel. Mbappé scored his third goal, becoming the second player ever to complete a hat-trick in the final of a World Cup.[242] With the score tied at 3–3, the match was determined via a penalty shootout. Argentina won the final after scoring all of their penalties, winning 4–2.[242] This marked their third World Cup win and their first since 1986. It also marked the first time in history that a South American team was crowned world champion shortly after winning the Copa América. StatisticsGoalscorersThere were 172 goals scored in 64 matches, for an average of 2.69 goals per match. 8 goals 7 goals 4 goals 3 goals 2 goals 1 goal
1 own goal
Source: FIFA DisciplineA player or team official is automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[148]
The following suspensions were served during the tournament:
AwardsThe following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament. The Golden Boot (top scorer), Golden Ball (best overall player) and Golden Glove (best goalkeeper) awards were all sponsored by Adidas.[243][244]
MarketingBrandingThe official emblem was designed by Lisbon-based Brandia Central branding agency and unveiled in September 2019, during simultaneous events at the Doha Tower, Katara Cultural Village Amphitheatre, Msheireb Downtown Doha and Zubarah. It is designed to resemble the tournament trophy, the infinity symbol, and the number "8", reflecting upon the "interconnected" event and the eight host stadiums. It also evokes imagery of shawls to signify the tournament's late fall scheduling, and contains waves resembling desert dunes. The typography of the emblem's wordmark incorporates kashida—the practice of elongating certain parts of characters in Arabic script to provide typographical emphasis.[245][246][247] MerchandiseElectronic Arts released the 2022 FIFA World Cup DLC in their video game FIFA 23 on 9 November 2022. The expansion includes a World Cup tournament mode with all teams from the event, some theming, and a multiplayer online tournament mode.[248] Instead of being connected to FIFA Ultimate Team, the DLC includes a "World Cup Live" mode, which lets players emulate that day's matches.[citation needed] Google released a mobile mini-game called "Mini Cup". For every live match of the World Cup, players can score penalties for their team, adding to the nation's total tally.[249] On 24 August 2022, the Panini Group produced themed stickers and a sticker album for a 14th consecutive World Cup.[250] Collectors are meant to open player packs and use them to fill their sticker book with all 32 participating teams. This year, rare cards with coloured borders "parallels" can be found, and can be collected, traded, or sold.[251] On 12 April 2022, FIFA released an Over-the-top media service and app revolving around the World Cup called FIFA+, where fans could play games, predict matches, and compete with others.[252] Broadcasting rightsIn May 2022, Infantino projected that the 2022 FIFA World Cup could be the most-watched in its history, with a global audience of at least 5 billion. The 2018 tournament was seen by 3.57 billion across the tournament.[253] The various controversies surrounding the World Cup in Qatar has led to questions over how the tournament will be covered in the media, and whether they will be discussed or addressed during coverage.[254][255] David Neal, executive producer for U.S. English rightsholder Fox Sports, stated that the broadcaster did not plan to cover issues that are "ancillary" to the tournament unless they "become prevalent and apparent", saying that "[viewers] don't come to us expecting us to be Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, or E:60".[255] This approach received a polarizing response from viewers, with some taking to social media to criticize the lack of focus on controversies, with others praising the sports-focused approach.[256][257] In February 2015, FIFA extended its media rights contracts in Canada and the United States with Bell Media (Canada), Fox (U.S. English), and NBCUniversal (U.S. Spanish) to last through 2026, without taking any competing offers. The New York Times reported that this decision was likely intended as compensation for the rescheduling of the 2022 World Cup, as the new scheduling places the tournament in competition with major professional sports leagues in North America, such as the National Football League.[258][259][260] The group stage did benefit from matches occurring during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend (competing with traditional fixtures of American football), when the England–U.S. group stage match was seen by approximately 20 million viewers across both Fox and Telemundo, ranking among the highest-rated associated football broadcasts in U.S. history (the highest was a 2014 World Cup match that drew 24.7 million).[261][262] Sponsorship
SymbolsMascotThe tournament's official mascot was unveiled on 1 April 2022, during the group stage draw. Its name is Laʼeeb (Arabic: لعيب, romanized: Laʿīb), which is an Arabic word meaning "super-skilled player". The official website of FIFA says: "Laʼeeb will be known for his youthful spirit; spreading joy and confidence everywhere he goes", and the official backstory of the character, published there, claims that it comes from a parallel world where tournament mascots live, "a world where ideas and creativity form the basis of characters that live in the minds of everyone".[295] Social media commentary compared La'eeb's appearance to Casper the Friendly Ghost or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, or even the ghost of the construction workers who died building the stadiums and infrastructure.[296][297][298][299] Match ballThe official match ball, "Al Rihla", was unveiled on 30 March 2022. It was mainly inspired by the culture, architecture, iconic boats and flag of Qatar. In Arabic, the word Al Rihla (الْرِّحْلَة ar-riḥla) means "the journey". The ball was designed with sustainability as a priority, making it the first ever official match ball created with water-based glues and inks. As "the game is getting faster" and "speeds up", the Adidas ball has internal electronic sensors, allowing detection of its speed and position, updated 500 times per second[300] and it has to be charged before each game.[301] The match ball for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final was announced on 11 December 2022. It is a variation of the Al Rihla named the Adidas Al Hilm (Arabic: الحلم, romanized: al-ḥulm, lit. 'the dream', a reference to "every nation's dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup").[302] Whilst the technical aspects of the ball are the same, the colour is different from the Al-Rihla balls used in the group stages and preceding knockout games, with a Gold Metallic, maroon, Collegiate Burgundy, and red design,[303] a reference to the national colors of host nation Qatar and the golden colors shared by the Final's venue and the FIFA World Cup Trophy. It is the fifth special ball for FIFA World Cup final matches, after the +Teamgeist Berlin (2006), Jo'bulani (2010), Brazuca Final Rio (2014), and Telstar Mechta (2018).[citation needed] MusicFor the first time, a multi-song FIFA World Cup official soundtrack has been released, instead of one official song.[304] The first song of the album is "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)", performed by Trinidad Cardona, Davido and AISHA, released on 1 April 2022 along with the music video.[305] The second song is "Arhbo", performed by Gims and Ozuna, released on 19 August 2022 along with the music video.[306] The third song is "The World Is Yours to Take" performed by American rapper Lil Baby, teamed up with Budweiser, released on 23 September 2022 along with the music video.[307]The fourth song is "Light The Sky" performed by Nora Fatehi, Manal, Rahma Riad and Balqees, composed by RedOne and released on 7 October 2022 along with the music video.[308] A fifth song, "Tukoh Taka", performed by Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares, was released on 17 November 2022 along with the music video, serving as the official song of the FIFA Fan Festival.[309] The final song is "Dreamers" by Jungkook of BTS released on 20 November 2022. it was performed with Fahad Al-Kubaisi during the tournament's opening ceremony.[310][311] ControversiesCriticism of the 2022 FIFA World Cup has focused on Qatar's human-rights record,[312] namely their treatment of migrant workers,[312] women, and position on LGBT rights,[313] leading to allegations of sportswashing.[K] Others cited Qatar's climate, lack of a strong football culture, and allegations of bribery for hosting rights and wider FIFA corruption.[317][9] Boycotts of the event were declared by several countries, clubs, and individual players,[315][318] with former FIFA president Sepp Blatter twice stating that giving Qatar hosting rights was a "mistake".[319][320] The selection of Qatar as the host country has been controversial.[8][9][11] The controversies surrounding the World Cup in Qatar were described as a cultural conflict or "Clash of Civilizations" between authoritarian Islamic regimes and secular liberal democracies.[8][11][313] Charlie Campbell of Time Magazine additionally noted the dispute as dually representative of the declining influence of the West in both football and geopolitics.[69] The Economist provided a defence for FIFA's choice, stating that Qatar was "a more suitable country to host a big sporting event" than both China and Russia, who hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2018 World Cup respectively, and both of whom arguably have worse human rights records. Moreover, it added that "Western criticism" failed to "distinguish between truly repugnant regimes and merely flawed ones", and that many "indignant pundits" simply sounded as if they did "not like Muslims or rich people".[321] The Qatari state-owned Al Jazeera news organization commented that Qatar's human rights positions have received selected, heightened criticism compared to other countries who have hosted similar events (such as Russia, China, and the United States), deeming the controversy to be hypocritical.[322][323] Incumbent FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the hosting.[324] A number of groups and media outlets have expressed concern over the suitability of Qatar to host the event.[325][326] Issues regarding from human rights,[11][313] worker conditions and the rights of LGBT fans,[313] and the illegality of homosexuality in Qatar.[327][328][329] In December 2020, Qatar said rainbow flags would be allowed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[330] Qatari officials initially stated that they would not prohibit the display of pride flags at tournament venues, in accordance with FIFA's inclusivity policies, although the country still advised LGBT attendees to comply with the country's modesty and avoid public displays of affection.[331][332] Hassan Abdulla al-Thawadi, chief executive of the country's 2022 World Cup bid, said that Qatar would permit alcohol consumption during the event,[333][334] even though drinking in public is not permitted, as the country's legal system is based on Islamic law (sharīʿa).[335] There were plans to allow the sale of alcohol inside stadiums and at fan villages.[336] Normally, the sale of alcohol is restricted to non-Muslim guests at selected luxury hotels only.[337] However, in the months preceding the tournament, Qatar walked back on both commitments: security officials warned in April 2022 that pride flags could be confiscated to protect attendees from potential conflicts with attendees who do not support LGBT rights,[338][339] and the sale of alcohol to fans within the stadiums was prohibited just days before the opening match.[340][336] This also led to concerns about what other commitments may be rolled back.[340][341] Also in the days preceding the opening of the competition, controversy arose around the change of rules surrounding the paid-for fans.[342] The climate conditions caused some to call hosting the tournament in Qatar infeasible, with initial plans for air-conditioned stadiums giving way to a potential date switch from summer to November and December.[8] In May 2014, Sepp Blatter, who was FIFA president at the time of the selection but later banned for illegal payments, remarked that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was a "mistake" because of the extreme heat.[8][343][344] While addressing delegates from African and Asian confederations, Blatter said allegations of corruption and some of the criticism, including those from sponsors, were "very much linked to racism and discrimination".[345] The attendance figures at the matches have also come under scrutiny as the reported crowd attendance has been more than the stadium capacities despite games having visible empty seats.[346] Prior to the tournament, a reporter for Denmark's TV 2 was threatened by security during a live report from Katara; the organising committee apologised, stating that they were "mistakenly interrupted".[347] Tony O'Donoghue of Ireland's RTÉ also accused Qatari police of interrupting him while filming.[348] On 5 November 2022, The Sunday Times and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism published an investigation reporting that a "hack-for-hire" group from Indian hacking company "WhiteInt" based in Gurgaon had compromised the email accounts and other private communications channels of various politicians, reporters, and other prominent individuals that had been critical of Qatar's hosting of the World Cup. It was also reported that the group had been hired by Jonas Rey, private investigators based in Switzerland, which were in turn hired by Qatari officials.[349] In November 2022, just before the tournament kicked off, Blatter again stated that awarding the tournament to Qatar was a "mistake". He remarked that the nation is "too small of a country" to host the tournament and that "football and the World Cup are too big for it".[350] Migrant workersThere have been criticisms of perceived human rights violations related to the organisation and hosting of the World Cup in Qatar. There have long been concerns for the state of human rights in Qatar, with the state accused of sportswashing in hosting the World Cup. A large concern in Qatar's hosting of the World Cup was the conditions of migrant workers brought in to build the required infrastructure, including indentured servitude and working conditions leading to deaths.[351][352][353][354][316] Move to November and DecemberOwing to the climate in Qatar, concerns were expressed over holding the World Cup in its traditional time frame of June and July.[8] In October 2013, a task force was commissioned to consider alternative dates and report after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[355] On 24 February 2015, the FIFA Task Force proposed that the tournament be played from late November to late December 2022,[356] to avoid the summer heat between May and September and also avoid clashing with the 2022 Winter Olympics in February, the 2022 Winter Paralympics in March and Ramadan in April.[357][358] The notion of staging the tournament in November is controversial because it would interfere with the regular season schedules of some domestic leagues around the world. Commentators have noted the clash with the Christian Christmas season is likely to cause disruption, whilst there is concern about how short the tournament is intended to be.[359] FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger said that awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar was a "blatant mistake".[360] Frank Lowy, chairman of Football Federation Australia, said that if the 2022 World Cup were moved to November and thus upset the schedule of the A-League, they would seek compensation from FIFA.[361] Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League, stated that they would consider legal action against FIFA because a move would interfere with the Premier League's popular Christmas and New Year fixture programme.[362] On 19 March 2015, FIFA sources confirmed that the final would be played on 18 December.[363] Critics have condemned the Euro-centrism of these allegations, and demanded why global sporting events must be held within the traditional European summer season.[364] Bidding corruption allegations, 2014Qatar has faced growing pressure over its hosting of the World Cup in relation to allegations over the role of former top football official Mohammed bin Hammam played in securing the bid.[365] A former employee of the Qatar bid team alleged that several African officials were paid $1.5 million by Qatar.[366] She retracted her claims, but later said that she was coerced to do so by Qatari bid officials.[367][368] In March 2014, it was discovered that disgraced former CONCACAF president Jack Warner and his family were paid almost $2 million from a firm linked to Qatar's successful campaign. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating Warner and his alleged links to the Qatari bid.[369] The Sunday Times published bribery allegations based on a leak of millions of secret documents.[370] Five of FIFA's six primary sponsors, Sony, Adidas, Visa, Hyundai, and Coca-Cola, called upon FIFA to investigate the claims.[371][372] Jim Boyce, vice-president of FIFA, stated he would support a re-vote to find a new host if the corruption allegations are proven.[373][374] FIFA completed a lengthy investigation into these allegations and a report cleared Qatar of any wrongdoing. Despite the claims, the Qataris insist that the corruption allegations are being driven by envy and mistrust while Sepp Blatter said it is fueled by racism in the British media.[375][376] In the 2015 FIFA corruption case, Swiss officials, operating under information from the United States Department of Justice, arrested many senior FIFA officials in Zurich, Switzerland and seized physical and electronic records from FIFA's main headquarters. The arrests continued in the United States, where several FIFA officers were arrested, and FIFA buildings were raided. The arrests were made on the information of at least a $150 million (USD) corruption and bribery scandal.[377][needs update] On 7 June 2015, Phaedra Almajid, the former media officer for the Qatar bid team, claimed that the allegations would result in Qatar not hosting the World Cup.[378] In an interview published on the same day, Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee, stated that "should there be evidence that the awards to Qatar and Russia came only because of bought votes, then the awards could be cancelled."[379][380][needs update] Qatar diplomatic crisis in 2017On 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilizing the region and supporting terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Mauritania, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, in a letter, asked FIFA to replace Qatar as World Cup host, calling the country a "base of terrorism".[381] In October 2017, Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, deputy head of Dubai Police and General Security, wrote about the crisis on Twitter in Arabic: "If the World Cup leaves Qatar, Qatar's crisis will be over...because the crisis is created to get away from it". According to media reports, the message appeared to imply that the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar was only enacted due to Qatar hosting the world's biggest football event.[382] In reaction to media coverage of his tweet, Dhahi Khalfan tweeted: "I said Qatar is faking a crisis and claims it's besieged so it could get away from the burdens of building expensive sports facilities for the World Cup".[383] UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said Dhahi Khalfan had been misunderstood in media coverage. In response, Gargash clarified that Qatar's hosting of the World Cup "should include a repudiation of policies supporting extremism & terrorism".[384] Russian participationOn 9 December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) handed Russia a four-year ban from all major sporting events, after RUSADA was found non-compliant for handing over manipulated lab data to investigators.[385] The Russian national team were still permitted to enter qualification, as the ban only applied to the final tournament to decide the world champions. A team representing Russia, which uses the Russian flag and anthem, could not participate under the WADA decision whilst the ban is active.[386] The decision was appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[387] and on 17 December 2020, Russian teams were banned from competing at world championships organized or sanctioned by a WADA signatory until 16 December 2022, the day before the third-place playoff.[388] After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia's participation was further thrown into doubt. On 24 February, the three teams in Russia's qualifying path — Czech Republic, Poland, and Sweden — announced their unwillingness to play any matches in Russian territory.[389] Poland and Sweden extended the boycott on 26 February to any qualifying games, and the Czech Republic made the same decision one day later.[390][391][392] On 27 February 2022, FIFA announced a number of sanctions impacting Russia's participation in international football. Russia was prohibited from hosting international competitions, and the national team was ordered to play all home matches behind closed doors in neutral countries. Under these sanctions, Russia would not be allowed to compete under the country's name, flag, or national anthem; similarly to the Russian athletes' participation in events such as the Olympics,[393] the team would compete under the abbreviation of their national federation, the Russian Football Union ("RFU"), rather than "Russia".[394] The next day, FIFA decided to suspend Russia from international competitions "until further notice", including its participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[395] LGBT rightsThere are no LGBT rights in Qatar, with homosexuality as well as campaigning for LGBT rights criminalized. As such, when Qatar was selected to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the choice to do so in a restrictive nation saw much criticism, with several topics becoming the subject of controversy. The security of fans,[396] as well as the homophobic football chants of certain nations, were points of discussion.[397] The main controversy came from a last-minute FIFA decision to hand out player punishments to European captains who had months earlier announced their intention to continue wearing rainbow-colored armbands (which began in 2020) in support of anti-discrimination; though not specifically in support of LGBT+ rights, nor targeting Qatar's lack, the rainbow symbol was deemed offensive to the hosts. Typically, kit violations incur a fine, which the teams had said they would pay; on the day of the first match involving one of the European teams, FIFA told the teams that they would receive a yellow card as a minimum.[398] Security officials at stadiums also confiscated items of rainbow clothing, flags featuring rainbows, whether Pride-related or not,[399][400] and reportedly intimidated fans.[401] American journalist Grant Wahl was briefly detained for wearing a t-shirt with a rainbow on it.[402] Women's rightsDiscrimination against women was also criticized.[403][404] Women in Qatar have few freedoms.[405] The case of a female Mexican World Cup employee facing punishment for extramarital sex after reporting being sexually assaulted to Qatari authorities has also been criticised.[406] Influence of IranIn November 2022, there were reports suggesting that the government of Iran were working with Qatari officials to suppress anti-government protests at the 2022 FIFA World Cup,[407] in light of the Mahsa Amini protests. Leaked documents and audio clips suggest that Iranian government officials were in correspondence with Qatari authorities in order to handle possible protesters.[408] In November 2022, the Qatari government revoked the visas of journalists from a London-based Iranian news channel, Iran International, known for being critical of the regime, who were seeking to cover the World Cup.[409] On 21 November 2022, during the first group stage match from Group B, between Iran and England, attempts were reportedly made by the stadium's security forces to block Iranian fans who wore clothing or carried items bearing slogans that were deemed unsympathetic to the Islamic government of Iran.[410] These included t-shirts and signs with "Woman, Life, Freedom" embedded onto them, Iran's previous flags, or any slogans containing the name of Mahsa Amini.[411] This crackdown continued throughout all of Iran's matches at the World Cup.[407] In addition to removing fans from stadiums, reports show that officials tried to suppress any filming or photography of possible protests. In one case, Qatari police detained Danish TV presenter, Rasmus Tantholdt, for filming fans with "Woman, Life, Freedom" slogans, some of whom who had been earlier abused by a group of pro-government supporters.[412] Paid fansIn 2020, Qatar began a fan engagement program promising to pay air travel, entrance tickets to matches, housing, and even spending money for groups of fans from all competing nations under the Fan Leader Network program. However, fans who are handpicked by the Qatari government are required to sing and chant when asked to, and are required to report any social media posts which are critical of Qatar.[413] Following international press relating to the Fan Leader Network, the Qatari Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy took the decision to suspend the per diem payments to these fans.[414] Alcohol banAs part of the Qatari bid, alcohol was to be permitted to be consumed around the stadiums. This is in contradiction to Qatari law which prohibits public consumption of alcohol and limits its consumption to high-end hotels. It was agreed that Budweiser, FIFA's largest sponsor, would be permitted to sell their beer in designated areas in the stadium. Eight days before the tournament Qatari officials informed AB InBev, the owners of Budweiser, that the beer tents were to be moved to less prominent areas and were no longer authorized inside the stadiums but still within the stadium perimeter.[415] Two days before the tournament, on 18 November 2022, FIFA released a statement that sale points of beer will be removed from stadium perimeters in contradiction to both the Qatari bid and the earlier commitment when the sales were moved outside of the stadiums. FIFA's response was questioned as FIFA had forced recent World Cup hosts, such as Brazil, to change their laws to allow alcohol consumption at matches in line with sponsorship commitments.[336] Alcohol was still permitted, however, inside the fan villages and inside the stadiums in the corporate hospitality boxes, leading to claims of double standards.[340] Regarding the last-minute Qatari ban on the sale of beer at the stadiums, Infantino proclaimed in his press conference: "I think personally, if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive."[416] Treatment of Jewish and Israeli visitorsQatar had previously promised to provide Jewish tourists with cooked kosher food and public Jewish prayer services at the 2022 World Cup. However, shortly before the World Cup began, both were banned by Qatar, who claimed it could not secure the safety of Jews.[417][418] Qatar alleged that they could not "secure" the safety of publicly praying Jewish tourists, whilst many foreign Jews complained that they subsequently had no food available to eat. It was estimated that 10,000 religious Jews from Israel and many more Jewish-Americans arrived to watch the World Cup in Qatar.[419] Whilst Jewish organisations complained of being unable to find cooked kosher food,[419] the Israeli government said it was happy with the efforts made by Qatar to meet its requests, including kosher food, direct flights from Israel to Qatar, and temporary diplomatic representation in the country. A kosher kitchen under the supervision of Rabbi Mendy Chitrik was open in time for the first match. Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, said he had never asked the Qatari government for cooked food, and he had been the only person in communication with the Qataris regarding making the World Cup experience inclusive for Jews.[420] Multiple Israeli reporters at the tournament reported fans from Arab nations waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israeli slogans.[313][421][422] Some Israelis reported that they had been escorted out of restaurants when their nationality was revealed.[423] The Israeli government warned its citizens traveling to the tournament to hide their Israeli identity out of safety concerns.[424] AccommodationThe Rawdat Al Jahhaniya fan village was criticised for its overpriced "night cabins" (£185 per night) made out of shipping containers. Tourists complained that the air conditioners in the cabins did not function well, facilities were falling apart, and the sleeping experience did not match their expectations.[425] The BBC reported that the tent accommodation at the Qetaifan Island fan village got criticism for having brown-colored tap water and no air conditioning other than a standing fan.[426][427] The tent village in Al Khor was criticized for having inconvenient transportation, a lack of alcohol, long waits to check in, and no locks on the tents.[428][429] The lack of suitable and affordable accommodation raised demand for daily shuttle flights from neighboring areas, such as Dubai, that have adequate numbers of hotel rooms.[430] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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