The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game: The World Cup’s Impact on the Migrant Labor Crisis in Qatar and What it Means for the United States of America as Future Hosts

The 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted in Qatar was mired in controversy. From the corrupt bidding process to the sub-standard working and living conditions, Qatar was heavily criticized for its management of the World Cup. This paper explores two of the main critiques levied against the host nation: its exploitation of migrant labor and the harsh and restrictive policies against women and the LGBT community. Concerning migrant labor, the kafala system is the primary cause of hardship. It is a labor sponsorship system, and it requires migrant workers to invest time and resources to acquire a job in Qatar, a sunk cost that then prevents them from leaving upon discovering that the working and living conditions are not what was promised. Women suffer from a similar sponsorship system, except instead of sponsorship by employers, they are sponsored by male relatives. Lastly, LGBT rights are non- existent in Qatar, and anecdotes about the LGBT experience and struggle for freedom and safety are noted below. Qatar and FIFA did work together to try to alleviate some of these problems. Qatar created a new wage protection system and labor dispute mechanisms to ensure timely payment for migrant workers and provide them with legal recourse if it was denied. Furthermore, FIFA created the “Supreme Committee” which oversaw construction efforts undertaken by FIFA and attempted to set labor standards. These programs had marginal success, but they at least displayed an intent for improvement. Lastly, this paper also compares the treatment of migrant workers, women, and the LGBT community in Qatar with their treatment in the United States of America. The United States is the next host of the World Cup and will face similar inquiries into its treatment of these groups. The United States is not above criticism concerning its protection of migrant laborers, women, and the LGBT community. Therefore, it should learn from the lesson of Qatar and ensure that the rights of these groups are safeguarded.