THERE was a numbness around much of the football world in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

A men’s World Cup held for the first time outside the months of May to July, catching anyone potentially interested slightly off guard with its timing and close proximity to domestic league and cup matches.

More pertinent issues than the time of year it was being held preceded and followed kick-off at this World Cup, from Fifa corruption related to the awarding of the tournament to human rights issues in the host country.

This has increased the sense of disillusion around the World Cup and indeed increased disengagement from top-level football as a whole. Some fans decided to ignore the tournament altogether and some in the media have also boycotted it.

But amid this elaborate and costly football fete, the sport of association football itself has reminded us why it is so popular, and especially so with those who are apparently looking to carry out what has been termed “sportswashing” — attempts to use sports to launder their reputation on the global stage, and an exercise in soft power.

And just as they had hoped, Fifa and Qatar can turn around and say this has been a great World Cup. In a sporting sense, at least, it has been. 

Another bonus for them is that international football generally remains a slightly less tarnished form of the game, with its relative lack of player movement between teams and more unpredictable knockout formats.

The nature of international football, based on the political map, also dispels the myth that football (or sport) and politics do not mix. It inevitably throws the spotlight on various global political issues which are then reported on, albeit in a selective fashion, by media or individuals on social media.

This tournament, in particular, has seen political issues and causes highlighted.

Iran players used their game against England to refuse to sing their national anthem in a show of solidarity with protesters against their oppressive government back home. Particularly in support of the “women’s revolution” in Iran on the back of Mahsa Amini’s death after she was arrested by the religious morality police.

After scoring for Senegal, Ismaila Sarr put his hand over his eyes and pointed his finger at his head in the shape of a gun to highlight the ignorance in Europe and the West of conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — one of the bloodiest in history. The fact this wasn’t picked up (or perhaps conveniently ignored) by English-language or European media reinforces the point Sarr was making.

The game between Serbia and Switzerland, whose side includes players of Kosovan descent, was also a reminder of the tensions between Serbia, Kosovo and Albania.

There have also been numerous shows of solidarity for Palestine by teams and supporters alike.

It has also served to highlight the attitudes towards workers and especially migrant workers, in the host country itself. Though apparently slightly improved compared to other countries in the region, Qatar remains among the worst countries in terms of human rights, working conditions, and workers' rights.

The development of new infrastructure and stadiums required in order to host a World Cup should serve as an eye-opener to the plight of workers across the globe, and in recent times has not been limited to Qatar.

Back in 2014, Reuters reported that eight people died during the construction of stadiums for the World Cup in Brazil where there were also worries about the safety of workers amid haste to get stadiums ready in time for the tournament.

In 2018, the BWI Global Union reported that “21 construction workers died on stadium building sites during the preparations for the 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia.”

BWI general secretary Ambet Yuson commented: “Most of these tragic deaths were because of falls from heights or because of heavy equipment falling on workers.

“These were tragedies that could have been averted if safety and health conditions were strictly enforced.”

There are issues with workers’ rights across the capitalist world, but Qatar has been one of the poorest records.

Reports that more than 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since it was announced as the host of the 2022 World Cup are often met with the response that these are not directly related to the tournament itself. But in such a small country, where there has been a big effort to construct hotels, upgrade and expand transport networks, and create areas of comfortable hospitality and accommodation for dignitaries, much of the work done in Qatar during the last 10 years will have had the World Cup in mind.

Hassan al-Thawadi, who holds the title of secretary-general of the supreme committee for delivery and legacy at this tournament, had previously admitted in a TV interview with Piers Morgan that, while not having the exact numbers, between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died while working on projects related to the World Cup.

Thawadi spoke of transparency but didn’t have the exact numbers, though did state in the same interview that there were “three work-related deaths and 37 non-work-related deaths.” When pressed by Morgan on further totals, he came up with the vague 400-500 figure and commented that “one death is too many.”

There was one more death too many on Thursday when a Filipino migrant worker was fixing lights at one of the training bases and reportedly slipped off a ramp. 

It was a sign that lessons had not been learned, or workers’ rights are simply not on top of any agenda, as it is the same kind of accident reported on by the BWI as avoidable in Russia in 2018.

The response of Qatar World Cup chief executive Nasser al-Khater to the recent death wasn’t one of remorse, but rather irritation that he was being asked about it at all.

He was annoyed that the negative subjects are still being brought up amid their attempts to capitalise on some thrilling sport(swashing).

“We’re in the middle of a World Cup,” Khater said petulantly when asked by the BBC about the death of the Filipino worker.

“We have a successful World Cup. And this is something you want to talk about right now?

“A worker died, our condolences to his family but it is strange that this is something you want to focus on as your first question.

“Death is a natural part of life, whether it’s at work, whether it’s in your sleep,” he added.

The fact Khater is still being questioned on such issues at this stage of the tournament could be seen as evidence that the sportswashing is not working as intended. But in other ways, it is working.

There have been reports from a handful of media and supporters along the lines of “actually it is not that bad” as they enjoy the hospitality, ceremony, cityscapes and accommodation all built by those migrant workers.

For those privileged attendees, it will be an easy trap to fall into once there, and this is how it is designed to work. It is why the idea of sportswashing is considered increasingly useful as a soft power tool.

But, then again, the same people will probably be complaining about strike action when they return home, rather than looking at the reasons for it.

Though the issues being highlighted are particularly prevalent in Qatar, it is worth noting that governments in both Britain and the United States have recently stepped in on the side of the companies as workers push for better pay and conditions.

Much of the British media is also perfectly happy highlighting issues with workers’ rights in Qatar but toeing the company line against workers back home. The back pages contradicting what has just been read in the front pages.

Though there are obviously different levels of severity when it comes to issues faced by workers in the two countries, it is telling that the narratives are different when pointing the finger elsewhere.

As fans and media have gradually remembered that World Cups are great spectacles, even if this one caught us slightly off guard, it is worth remembering that the reason for this is the sport itself, the players, the supporters, the diversity, the people of the host country and the unique nature of international football. 

Not least, and especially at this tournament, the reason for this spectacle is the workers who risked their lives to build these cities and stadiums, many of whom remain out there to provide hospitality for visitors to a country that, in many cases, isn’t even their own.

Workers who put the whole thing together so they could send some money home to their families in other parts of the world. It is they who should also be celebrated and compensated, not the rulers and connivers of Fifa or Qatar.