Yesterday, the first game of this year’s men’s FIFA World Cup took place in Qatar. England will be having their first match versus Iran today at 1pm.
However, as many of you will have seen, this year’s World Cup is not just about the football. There have been lots of issues raised because Qatar has very strict rules about what women can do and wear, and being in a gay or lesbian relationship is illegal. LGBTQ+ people in Qatar are subject to very serious punishments.
There are also concerns about the treatment of the workers who built the stadiums, most of whom travelled from other countries to work there and build the new stadiums for the competition. 30,000 people travelled to Qatar to work and were mistreated and paid very little.
This week, we are asking you to think about some of the issues that have arisen due to Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup. Have a look at the Newsround article below, watch the video, and share your thoughts about the World Cup being hosted in Qatar.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/63557689
Some questions you can ask yourself or your classmates this week: should Qatar have been chosen as the location for the World Cup? What can the players do to show their support for women, migrant workers, and LGBTQ+ people in Qatar?
