Qatar\'s migrant workers enjoy World Cup on the cheap
2 years ago

Qatar\'s migrant workers enjoy World Cup on the cheap

Deccan Chronicle  

DOHA: Shafeeq Saqafi paid three dollars for the Argentina shirt he proudly wore when sat with 15,000 other migrant workers in a hidden corner of Doha to watch Lionel Messi's side salvage their World Cup. Messi's goal in the 2-0 win over Mexico brought the biggest crowd seen at the Asian Town stadium to their feet and Saqafi beat his chest in delight. Saqafi and his friends bristle at European media suggestions that they are "fake fans" but readily acknowledge that they buy counterfeit team shirts for $3 or less, instead of the $90 cost of official kit. Saqafi is one of the 2.5 million foreign workers who have been the foundation of Qatar's economic miracle -- helping pump oil and gas, building its World Cup stadiums and infrastructure and staffing the dozens of new hotels that have opened in the past five years.

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History of this topic

Lionel Messi and the World Cup have left Qatar with a richer sports legacy
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Lionel Messi and the World Cup have left Qatar with a richer sports legacy

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The country is currently playing …

Messi, Argentina set to pull a big crowd in Beijing exhibition game against Australia
1 year, 6 months ago

Messi, Argentina set to pull a big crowd in Beijing exhibition game against Australia

The Hindu  

Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina teammates are expected to draw almost 70,000 fans to the Beijing Worker’s Stadium for an exhibition game against Australia. He said that after winning the World Cup, it was his time to go the United States and “live football in another way.” Before then, he’s with the Argentina squad that is scheduled to …

How the World Cup in Qatar refined sportswashing into a fine art
2 years ago

How the World Cup in Qatar refined sportswashing into a fine art

Live Mint  

Since it was declared the host in 2010, Qatar has spent $220 billion to stage the Fifa World Cup. In 2012, it bought the French club Paris Saint-Germain for Euro 100 million through Qatari sports Investment, a closed shareholding organization which is a subsidiary of the Qatari Investment Authority, the country’s sovereign wealth fund. When Messi was draped with the …

World Cup fans set goal of enjoyment
2 years ago

World Cup fans set goal of enjoyment

China Daily  

Official clothes and match ball of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar are shown at a flagship store of Adidas in early November. Despite a five-hour time difference and absence of their national team, Chinese soccer fans are still full of zest for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, as the global soccer extravaganza has fueled a consumption drive in …

World Cup fans set goal of enjoyment
2 years ago

World Cup fans set goal of enjoyment

China Daily  

Official clothes and match ball of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar are shown at a flagship store of Adidas in early November. Despite a five-hour time difference and absence of their national team, Chinese soccer fans are still full of zest for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, as the global soccer extravaganza has fueled a consumption drive in …

In pictures: Qatar’s migrant workers enjoy FIFA World Cup on the cheap
2 years ago

In pictures: Qatar’s migrant workers enjoy FIFA World Cup on the cheap

The Hindu  

Shafeeq Saqafi paid $3 for the Argentina shirt he proudly wore when he sat with 15,000 other migrant workers in a hidden corner of Doha to watch Lionel Messi’s side salvage their World Cup. Saqafi and his friends bristle at European media suggestions that they are “fake fans” but readily acknowledge that they buy counterfeit team shirts for $3 or …

Watching the World Cup with Qatar’s migrant workers and hearing about their lives
2 years ago

Watching the World Cup with Qatar’s migrant workers and hearing about their lives

New York Times  

Inside a cricket stadium on the outskirts of Doha, hundreds of men gather together. Asian Town is a shopping and entertainment complex close to “Labour City”, which opened in 2015 and accommodates close to 70,000 migrant workers who assisted the construction projects that were critical to the state’s World Cup. Migrant workers have helped build Qatar's World Cup from scratch …

In a stadium of their own, migrant workers say their sweat made World Cup happen
2 years, 1 month ago

In a stadium of their own, migrant workers say their sweat made World Cup happen

The Hindu  

Published : Nov 21, 2022 16:09 IST Taking selfies from the stands and sitting on the grassy pitch, thousands of migrant workers gathered in a Doha stadium to watch the opening match of the first World Cup in West Asia. Rights groups have accused authorities of failing to protect lower-income workers - including those who built the stadiums and hotels …

Industrial Area Fan Zone rocking with fan fervour, music and food
2 years, 1 month ago

Industrial Area Fan Zone rocking with fan fervour, music and food

Al Jazeera  

Migrant labourers say a ticket quota would have been a welcome gesture towards those who played important role in World Cup preparations. Doha, Qatar – Excitement filled the air in the Industrial Area Fan Zone as thousands of migrant labourers came to watch the historic first game of the FIFA World Cup 2022 featuring Qatar and Ecuador in Qatar’s capital …

World Cup: The human cost of Qatar 2022
2 years, 1 month ago

World Cup: The human cost of Qatar 2022

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. World Cup CEO Nasser al Khater spoke earlier this …

'Things are very disappointing': Eric Dier raises doubts about Qatar's migrant workers crisis
2 years, 1 month ago

'Things are very disappointing': Eric Dier raises doubts about Qatar's migrant workers crisis

Daily Mail  

The Spurs star is in contention to start England's opener against Iran on Monday Dier insisted the situation was 'difficult for players' to handle in Qatar The defender believes players shouldn't be the ones facing political questions Eric Dier has vowed to learn more about the political circumstances marring the upcoming World Cup in Qatar as he admitted players featuring …

Qatar's £10million World Cup ambassador David Beckham tells locals 'today is your day to dream'
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar's £10million World Cup ambassador David Beckham tells locals 'today is your day to dream'

Daily Mail  

Qatar's World Cup ambassador David Beckham has delivered a video message in Doha, telling young locals that 'today is your day to dream' ahead of the start of the 2022 tournament. Qatar's World Cup ambassador David Beckham has appeared in a video praising football's ability to make the world a more 'tolerant and inclusive place' - despite criticism of the …

World Cup 2022: Fans stunned at being charged almost £12 for less than a pint in Qatar
2 years, 1 month ago

World Cup 2022: Fans stunned at being charged almost £12 for less than a pint in Qatar

Daily Mail  

Fans have been left bemused after it emerged that those travelling to Qatar for the World Cup will need to pay almost £12 for less than a pint of beer. But they have been dealt a shock early on, after finding out that a 500ml glass of Budweiser, the only official beer of the World Cup, will cost 50 riyals …

Qatar’s World Cup denounced for ‘washing’ country’s image
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar’s World Cup denounced for ‘washing’ country’s image

LA Times  

A man takes a selfie with a sign reading in English “FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022” at the corniche in Doha, Qatar, on Nov. 11. “The Qatar World Cup kick-started discussion about sportswashing and human rights in football and it has been very steep learning curve for us all,” Norway soccer federation President Lise Klaveness said at a recent Council …

FIFA World Cup: Dreams of wealth turn to dust for Qatar migrant workers
2 years, 1 month ago

FIFA World Cup: Dreams of wealth turn to dust for Qatar migrant workers

India Today  

Hundreds of thousands of people have flocked to Qatar in recent years to work on giant construction schemes as it boosted its infrastructure ahead of the World Cup. His father, a driver, "used to go to work at 3:00 am and come back at 11:00 pm," he said. They were among six to eight people living in a room at …

Qatar unveils 6,000 cabin World Cup fan village near airport
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar unveils 6,000 cabin World Cup fan village near airport

Associated Press  

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar has unveiled a 6,000-cabin fan village in an isolated lot near its airports, an offering for housing toward the lower end of what’s available for the upcoming World Cup, which is just days away from starting. “Most of the fan they prefer if it’s not a hotel, they prefer the apartment and villa,” al-Jaber said, noting …

How Qatar is preparing for the booziest event in its history?
2 years, 1 month ago

How Qatar is preparing for the booziest event in its history?

Live Mint  

The King of Beers is taking over Qatar. Now executives are delicately seeking to maximize the return on investment of Budweiser’s World Cup sponsorship contract, in a place with where local Qatari officials came close to barring alcohol from the tournament events entirely. Branding on and within the W Hotel — which Budweiser will take over for events and parties …

EXPLAINER: Qatar’s vast wealth helps it host FIFA World Cup
2 years, 1 month ago

EXPLAINER: Qatar’s vast wealth helps it host FIFA World Cup

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Qatar is home to some 2.9 million people, but only a small fraction — around one in 10 — are Qatari citizens. They enjoy massive wealth and benefits fueled by Qatar’s shared control of one of the world’s largest reserves of natural gas. Here’s a look at Qatar’s economy and how this tiny country was …

FIFA World Cup 2022: Argentina’s ‘first fan’ reached Qatar six months early
2 years, 2 months ago

FIFA World Cup 2022: Argentina’s ‘first fan’ reached Qatar six months early

The Hindu  

Argentina’s self-styled “first fan” Marcelo Martinez is so keen to see Lionel Messi and team mates at the World Cup that he arrived in Qatar six months early. “They all love Messi and Argentina here.” Martinez hopes Messi will finally lift the trophy at his fifth and final World Cup finals after winning so many other accolades in the game. …

Qatar ruler hits back at anti-Arab attacks on World Cup
2 years, 7 months ago

Qatar ruler hits back at anti-Arab attacks on World Cup

The Hindu  

Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday hit out at what he called unprecedented attacks on Qatar becoming the first Arab country to host the World Cup. With the Gulf state facing questions about the treatment of foreign workers and the rights of women and the LGBTQ community, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani acknowledged that Qatar was …

Qatar World Cup 2022 ticket sales to open, lowest $70 globally
2 years, 11 months ago

Qatar World Cup 2022 ticket sales to open, lowest $70 globally

The Hindu  

Fans can start registering to buy Qatar World Cup tickets on Wednesday with prices for visitors starting at around $70, one-third cheaper than the tournament in Russia. The intended ticket prices will be the cheapest at a World Cup since $3 seats in Mexico — based on 1986 exchange rates — and half the price of those made available to …

Qatar 2022: Football World Cup tickets go on sale
2 years, 11 months ago

Qatar 2022: Football World Cup tickets go on sale

Al Jazeera  

Neither FIFA nor the local organising committee has announced how many fans will be allowed into stadiums. Tickets for the Qatar 2022 World Cup have been put on sale with prices for residents wanting to attend the games starting at 40 Qatari riyals, the cheapest for locals since the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Neither FIFA nor the local organising …

Qatar’s landmark minimum wage comes into force
3 years, 9 months ago

Qatar’s landmark minimum wage comes into force

Al Jazeera  

According to the new law, employees of all nationalities and across all sectors will now be entitled to a minimum monthly wage of $275. Qatar’s new minimum wage law has come into force on Saturday for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers as it becomes the first country in the region to adopt a non-discriminatory minimum wage. Previously under Qatar’s …

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