Prior to next month’s World Cup, Australia’s Socceroos publicly criticized Qatar over the deaths of up to 6,500 migrant workers building stadiums for the game and rules that make being homosexual illegal.
They are the first FIFA World Cup team to issue a statement of protest, in which they also drew attention to the continued “suffering” that local employees are experiencing in the lead-up to the athletic event.
Football Australia, which issued a statement of their own on the subject, has endorsed the video message made by 16 players.
The FA insists that the “pain” caused by the tournament for the workers and their families “cannot be overlooked.”
‘We stand with FIFPro, the Building and Wood Workers International, and the International Trade Union Confederation, seeking to embed reforms and establish a lasting legacy in Qatar,’ the video outlines.
‘This must include establishing a migrant resource center, effective remedy for those who have been denied their rights, and the decriminalization of all same-sex relationships.
‘These are the basic rights that should be afforded to all and will ensure continued progress in Qatar … [and] a legacy that goes well beyond the final whistle of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.‘
