Show Notes
It is undoubtedly one of the strangest World Cups ever. The global "festival of football" kicks off this weekend in the tiny Gulf state of Qatar in a cloud of controversy.
In this special launch episode of our brand-new weekly podcast, Molly Blackall speaks to i's Chief Football Writer, Daniel Storey in Doha and Special Correspondent, Patrick Strudwick about why this World Cup has come under such scrutiny.
In the 12 years since Qatar was awarded the World Cup, the eyes of the world have turned on the tiny nation of just under three million people. As the Qatari government has pumped billions into building stadiums for the event, criticism has grown over the treatment of the thousands of migrant workers who worked on the projects.
From Doha, Daniel has written about how the sky-high costs for travelling fans and lingering moral doubts mean that the tournament will "push fan loyalty to the limit".
The president of Fifa,Gianni Infantino, insisted in a press conference in late October that “everyone is welcome in Qatar" but Patrick's reporting has uncovered the brutal reality for LGBT people living in the country and the threats facing visiting LGBT fans.
Listen as they both debate the controversies and what role star players can take in shining a light on the lack of human rights in Qatar.
Some of the discussion does contain accounts of sexual violence, so listener discretion is advised.
Produced by Julia Webster. The Executive Producer is Albert Evans.
Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.
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