The Sunday World Cup final between France and Argentina, which also happens to fall on International Migrants Day, FIFA has garnered more criticism from human rights watchdogs.
In the midst of ongoing criticism of the World Cup for the alleged mistreatment of migrant workers in the Gulf state in the years prior to the first ball being kicked, Gianni Infantino, president of the organisation that governs world football, praised what he called the “best World Cup ever” on Friday.
READ ALSO: Qatar 2022: Argentina Is World Cup Champion
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are two human rights organisations that have urged FIFA to protect the rights of migrant workers in Qatar and to make amends for any employees who may have been hurt or even killed while constructing the tournament’s infrastructure.
According to Steve Cockburn, director of economic and social justice at Amnesty International, “as good the football has often been, the tournament has come at a great cost for hundreds of thousands of employees who have paid illegal recruiting fees, had pay stolen, or even lost their lives.
“We are still waiting for FIFA and Qatar to commit to ensuring remedy for everyone who made this World Cup possible,” he added.
Human Rights Watch’s Minky Worden added that it appeared FIFA was more focused on appeasing the host country than defending the migrant workers who served as the tournament’s foundation.
“FIFA has a human rights policy with clear rules protecting human rights but far too often, FIFA sided with its wealthy partner Qatar against the most vulnerable,” Worden said.
“This World Cup in Qatar will indeed be remembered, for all the wrong reasons: as the most expensive sporting event ever – and the most deadly.”
In the meantime, Qatar has denied allegations that migrant workers were mistreated while helping with World Cup preparations and emphasised that new labour rules were implemented to protect workers’ rights.
They also contend that figures of worker fatalities and injuries that have been extensively publicised are incorrect.
