Norwegian Soccer Boss Slams FIFA And World Cup Host Qatar

For two hours Gianni Infantino led a tightly stage-managed FIFA congress in Doha on the eve of the World Cup draw. The FIFA president rattled off all his achievements, once again presented his organization as reformed, sidestepped condemning Russia and praised the human rights reform of World Cup hosts Qatar. He also said he wants four more years at FIFA.

There was no dissent from the floor and FIFA’s 211 members. That’s until the president of the Norwegian FA Lise Klaveness stepped up with a courageous and powerful speech that called for inclusion, reparations for workers’ families who have died during the construction of World Cup stadia, and the defence of the basic principles of human rights.

Klaveness said that “there is no room for employers who do not secure the freedom and safety of World Cup workers. No room for leaders that cannot host the women´s game. No room for hosts that cannot legally guarantee the safety and respect of LGBTQ+ people coming to this theatre of dreams.”

“In 2010, the world cup was awarded by FIFA in unacceptable ways with unacceptable consequences. Human rights, equality, democracy, the core interests of football, were not in the starting 11 until many years later. These basic rights were pressured on as substitutes, mainly by outside voices. FIFA has later addressed these issues, but there is still a long way to go,” said Klaveness.

“The migrant workers injured or families of those who died in the build-up to the World Cup should be cared for.”

She called on FIFA and Infantino to do better. “It is vital that the current leadership wholeheartedly continue in this way, truly moving from policy to impact,” said Klaveness.

Qatar has spent $200 billion on infrastructure, including $6.5 billion directly on the World Cup, to stage the 28-day extravaganza at the end of this year, but the country’s reputation has been tested by allegations of corruption and human rights abuses. The Guardian reported in 2021 that 6 500 South Asian migrants had died in Qatar since 2010, with 37 deaths linked to the construction of World Cup stadiums.

At the heart of it all lies the kafala system that is prevalent in Gulf countries. In Arabic, kafala literally means “guardianship”. It ties a “foreign” worker to a sponsor, who yields “unchecked powers over migrant workers, allowing them to evade accountability for labour and human rights abuses, and leaves workers beholden to debt and in constant fear of retaliation”, according to Human Rights Watch.

Klaveness’ intervention, which also demanded inclusion of the LGBT community, prompted a furious reaction from the general secretary of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Hassan Al-Thawadi, who is the face of Qatar’s World Cup. He has defended Qatar in the face of huge criticism from rights groups, protesting football associations and fans over the years, but Klaveness’ speech on Al-Thawadi’s home soil rattled the high-ranking football official, who struggled to control his anger.

Al-Thawadi said that the country has worked “12 years… dedicated to ensuring this tournament leaves truly transformational social, human, economic and environmental legacies to be remembered. We are acutely aware of the spotlight that comes with hosting the greatest show on earth and we have embraced it.”

“On [the issue of a] social legacy, I would like to assure the Norwegian FA,” said Al-Thawadi. “[But] I’d like to express a disappointment. Madame president visited our country and did not request a meeting. She did not attempt a dialogue before addressing Congress today. We have always been open for dialogue, we always welcomed constructive criticism. We have always had the doors open for anybody who wants to understand the issues, who wants to educate themselves before passing any judgment.”

On the back of working with the ILO, BWI and other international organizations, it’s the new PR line FIFA and the local organizing committee are rolling out: critics are ill-informed, but with the scrutiny on Qatar only set to intensify in the lead-up to the World Cup, it remains to be seen if public opinion will change.