The football is making its case with some compelling matches in its first few days. There’s been surprising defeats, score blow-outs, and minnows putting the big fish on notice.
Saudi Arabia and Japan shocked traditional giants Argentina and Germany, respectively, with 2-1 wins. Australia bagged an early goal against defending champions France before going down. Canada gave everything in a 0-1 loss to Belgium, while Spain and England got under way with easy victories.
But the controversies that made Qatar a complicated choice to host the tournament haven’t gone away and have been added to. The sport’s organising body has also freshly re-made itself into a target.
Before their match with Japan on Thursday, the German players covered their mouths with their hands to symbolise gagging, and also wore rainbow colours on boots and warm-up kit.
These were acts of defiance against Fifa which had warned several nations that there would be sporting sanctions, such as yellow cards, if team captains wore the OneLove armband during matches.
Germany, England, Wales, France, and Belgium were among the teams that had wanted to use them.
It’s looking like a Fifa own-goal. The over-the-top ban is backfiring by giving the dispute oxygen, and making the association look out of touch with major Western populations at the same time.
Reuters reports that the anti-discrimination armbands, which have been around for two years, have suddenly now become wanted items.
They tap into an activism where people want to be seen to be promoting rights, tolerance, and diversity. For many, it’s about expressing themselves, while also trying to influence society. A German football team statement noted: “We wanted to use our captain’s armband to take a stand for values that we hold ... diversity and mutual respect ... we wanted our voice to be heard.“
Some social movements on issues such as climate change and democratic freedoms have become very broad churches of people who may not see themselves as natural allies, but that depth is a strength.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wore one of the armbands in Qatar, sitting next to Fifa president Gianni Infantino. Legendary player and manager, now ITV commentator, Roy Keane said: “[The World Cup] shouldn’t be in Qatar because of the treatment of migrant workers and gay people, because of the nation’s flippant disregard of human rights, because of the broad brush corruption at the top of the sport.”
Hugo Lloris, the French football captain, took a different view before the tournament, saying that: “When foreigners come to France, we expect them to follow our rules and respect our culture. I will do the same when I go to Qatar. I can agree or disagree with their ideas, but I have to show respect.”
Iran’s team didn’t use armbands but appeared to register their own statement about the struggle for rights and freedoms in their country in silence - bowing their heads and not singing when their anthem played in a match against England.
In the same match, the England players took the knee in a gesture against discrimination.
In the context of the World Cup, such protests are a way of taking advantage of a high-profile event watched by millions to make a point. Activists have denounced Qatar’s laws on homosexuality and equality, treatment of migrant workers, and free expression.
Rainbow-coloured hats and flags have been taken off people attending matches by security guards.
The World Cup comes just after the United Nations climate conference was held in Egypt, another country run in an authoritarian way that has a normalised status in how the wider world deals with it. The idea behind such links is that good relations might encourage reforms or at least keep the country stable.
Major events have been held in other countries with questionable human rights issues. Qatar is hardly unique in that sense, in its region and globally.
Some sports fans would also argue that it’s a once-in-four-years chance for the athletes to shine and that an event that’s taking place in nearly 30C heat with no beer, doesn’t need a dose of politics as well.
At the moment, the controversies appear to be overshadowing sporting efforts on the pitch.
