Just weeks before the 2022 FIFA World cup in Qatar begins, the governing body of world football – FIFA has insisted all the teams in World cup to solely focus on playing football and not on the surmounting controversies around it. The mega event of football taking place at Qatar has sparked a lot of negative reactions from fans as well as from people at higher positions.
This year’s World cup is approximately 18 times greater than the last edition in terms of expenditure. Broadcasting and Viewership is also expected to rise from 2018’s figure of 3.2 Billion. The whole cost of the tournament is $220 Dollars. 2.45 million tickets have already been sold and 1.2 million International visitors are still expected to arrive.
In a letter written by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Secretary general Fatma Samoura, all the 32 nations have been urged to let “football take the center stage”. Ever since Qatar was declared as the hosts for 2022 FIFA World cup, which begins from November 20, top leaders across Europe and around the world raised their voice against it.
The controversies and criticism is taking place due to the human rights violation in Qatar. Meanwhile, FIFA officials have asked the players to focus on playing and winning rather than the ideological and political battle. The letter also asked the teams to maintain mutual respect and non-discrimination during the World cup as both of them are core values of the beautiful game.
Please, let’s now focus on the football! We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world. At FIFA, we try to respect all opinions and beliefs, without handing out moral lessons to the rest of the world. One of the great strengths of the world is indeed its very diversity, and if inclusion means anything, it means having respect for that diversity. No one people or culture or nation is ‘better’ than any other. This principle is the very foundation stone of mutual respect and non-discrimination. And this is also one of the core values of football. – FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary Fatma Samoura wrote to the 32 teams.
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