The "All-Time Best" Qatar World Cup, the First Middle East Football Festival Full of Controversies and Issues

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] "This tournament was the 'best World Cup ever.' People from all over the world came to Qatar and discovered the Arab world."

Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), evaluated the tournament this way on the 16th (local time), just before the final and the third-place playoff of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. As the first World Cup held in the Middle East, it succeeded in attracting attention with issues such as the 'underdog rebellion' led by Morocco and the record-breaking number of goals scored.

Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) (far left), is watching after the final on the 18th (local time) as Lionel Messi (center), captain of the Argentina football team, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, shake hands.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

However, the tournament, which ended on the 18th, is also regarded as a controversial event with many disputes. Human rights issues such as discrimination against migrant workers and sexual minorities (LGBT+) in Qatar, which had been controversial even before the tournament began, remain a stain on this World Cup. Additionally, the European Union (EU) is investigating the 'Qatar bribery scandal,' which has led to legal issues.

◆ Qatar's National Brand Success with 26.1 Trillion Won Investment

According to FIFA's tally until the 16th, the total attendance at the Qatar World Cup was 3.27 million. Although this falls short of the 3.3 million total attendance at the 2018 Russia World Cup, there is still a possibility that the attendance surpassed 2018’s figures since the third-place playoff and final were held after FIFA’s announcement. Qatar’s state-run QNA news agency reported that 1.4 million visitors came to Qatar during the World Cup period. While exact numbers require further calculation, considering that the organizing committee announced 1 million visitors two days earlier, it is estimated that additional spectators arrived.

This tournament attracted attention with a series of upsets. The British magazine The Economist reported on the 12th that, based on data from the sports betting website 'OddsPortal,' which compiles information from major sports betting companies, five out of ten major upsets in World Cups from 2002 to this year occurred at the Qatar World Cup. Morocco, which became the first African nation to reach the semifinals, is a representative example. The strong performances of Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia also contributed.

The Croatian national football team secured third place in the Qatar World Cup on the 17th (local time) and is taking a commemorative photo.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Based on this, the Qatar World Cup set a record as the highest-scoring World Cup in history. According to AP News and others, six goals were scored in the final between Argentina and France, including a hat-trick by Kylian Mbapp? (France), bringing the total goals of the tournament to 172. This surpassed the previous record of 171 goals set in 1998 and 2014.

Although there were six goalless draws in the group stage, foreign media evaluated that Spain’s 7-0 victory over Costa Rica and England’s 6-2 win against Iran contributed to raising the total number of goals. AP reported, "With the expansion to 48 teams playing 80 or 104 matches in the 2026 World Cup, it is highly likely that new records will be set." From 1998 to this tournament, 32 teams competed in the group stage.

Amid these circumstances, it is reported that Qatar is evaluating the tournament as a successful event. A senior official of the Qatari government recently told major foreign media, "Qatar feels successful. We have proven that those who doubted Qatar’s hosting were wrong and made this region proud," adding, "It is good for the 'Brand Qatar.'"

Dr. Karen Young of Columbia University mentioned that Qatar spent $200 billion (approximately 26.1 trillion won) preparing for this tournament and analyzed, "It seems to have been worth it for Qatar. The small country of Qatar accomplished this entirely on its own without regional (Middle Eastern) assistance. That is remarkable."

◆ Controversies over Bribery and Human Rights Persist, Making 'Success' Debatable

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

However, the Qatar World Cup was held amid serious controversies such as bribery allegations and human rights violations. This is why the tournament’s success cannot be simply evaluated as a success.

First, the lobbying scandal that began during the selection process for the World Cup host continues even after the tournament ended. Allegations surfaced that FIFA executive committee members’ votes were bought with bribes during the host selection, and just before the semifinals, the Vice-President of the European Parliament and others were indicted by Belgian prosecutors on bribery charges. Qatar strongly denies the allegations, but Belgian authorities have indicted four individuals involved in lobbying the European Parliament.

Human rights issues were the most spotlighted topic before the Qatar World Cup began.

Qatar, with a population of only 2.8 million, brought in many migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, and other countries to build the infrastructure needed for the World Cup stadiums. Over the past decade, more than 6,500 workers have died at construction sites. The poor working conditions were the problem. Despite repeated protests from human rights organizations, Qatar denied the issues and even caused outrage by describing worker deaths as "part of life."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Along with migrant workers, human rights abuses against sexual minorities also surfaced. Seven European teams, including England and Germany, attempted to wear 'rainbow armbands' to protest discrimination, but FIFA blocked this, causing controversy. Regarding this, President Infantino explained at a press conference on the 16th that the measure was to separate football from politics so that World Cup fans could enjoy only football.

There were also conflicts between official World Cup sponsors and the host country. Since this was the first World Cup held in the Middle East, conflicts over alcohol issues persisted throughout the year between the host country and sponsors. Just days before the tournament, Qatar suddenly banned beer sales inside stadiums, causing sponsors to suffer losses.

The New York Times (NYT) evaluated, "Qatar secured the hosting rights and, after a controversial tournament, received the world’s spotlight," adding, "Ultimately, Qatar got what it wanted." NYT emphasized, "It is unlikely that sports will again see a host country with such low chances. Qatar was one of the most unsuitable hosts for a World Cup-scale tournament but leveraged its vast financial resources."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.