By Hugo Lagergren
December
World Cup
Argentina defeated France on penalties in a thrilling World Cup Final to win its third title and its first since 1986. The match ended 3-3 after 120 minutes and saw Kylian Mbappé, France’s star boy, spearhead two late comebacks by scoring a hattrick. Despite this, Argentina were comfortably in control of much of the game after two early goals from Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria. The French team, who appeared overwhelmed by the whole occasion, struggled to get into the game during the first half and seemed dazed by an assertive Argentinian performance, a phenomenon which spilled over into the penalty shootout.
Millions of Argentines piled onto the streets of Buenos Aires on Monday to celebrate their country’s victory. The Plaza de la Repúblic was a sea of light blue and white euphoria, with people hanging from bus stops and buildings, chanting songs, and generally rejoicing about their national team’s success.
Lionel Messi, the most decorated football player in world history, added to his locker the one major trophy that has forever eluded him. After he confirmed before the tournament that the Qatar World Cup would be his final World Cup, much of the world’s attention has been focused on him. Therefore, this feels like a fitting end to his journey with the national team, even though he has since said that he will continue playing for the national team.
After the match, President Emmanuel Macron attempted to comfort the French players, who were trying to win back-to-back World Cups for the first time since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Fans quickly noticed a tense interaction between President Macron and Mbappé, who looked inconsolable.
President Macron, a passionate football fan, who rarely misses an opportunity to support the national team, phoned Kylian Mbappé in 2021 when he wanted to leave PSG and helped persuade him to stay in France, at least until this World Cup. Fans and journalists were reminded of this and criticized Macron for instrumentalizing his relationship with Mbappé and the French national team.
However, as the World Cup has now come to a close, the world has begun to digest what has undoubtedly been one of the most controversial World Cups since the tournament’s conception in 1930.
The controversy started in 2010 when Sepp Blatter, the then-president of FIFA, announced to the world that Qatar had won the right to host the 2022 World Cup. The football world was shell-shocked by this. How could Qatar, one of the smallest sovereign nations in the world, host football’s biggest tournament successfully? Many pointed to the lack of infrastructure and an absence of any footballing culture.
Increasingly, people accused FIFA of operating with a lack of transparency. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed many people’s suspicions by indicting 14 top football officials, seven of which worked for FIFA. The accusations, ranging from bribery and fraud to money laundering, stated that these officials were involved in several deals to influence media and marketing rights for FIFA games and the bidding processes concerning international tournaments, such as the World Cup.
This triggered a cascade of criminal investigations into FIFA, notably into FIFA’s then-president, Sepp Blatter, and his relationship with Michel Platini, a favorite to replace him. Both resigned and have been involved in criminal proceedings until recently.
Perhaps more importantly, Qatar has been the subject of much criticism regarding its human rights record. As the tournament approached, public attention shifted away from FIFA’s corruption issues, instead focusing on the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar, most of whom have been working on World Cup-related projects since 2010.
Qatari officials have largely denied accusations of mistreatment. However, in an interview with Piers Morgan last month, the secretary-general of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Hassan al-Thawadi, admitted that the number of migrant worker deaths relating to World Cup projects is “between 400 and 500”. Qatar has since disputed this figure.
Notwithstanding this higher-than-usual estimate from a Qatari official, the truth appears even more damning. In February of 2021, The Guardian revealed that around 6,500 migrant workers have died since Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010. Thousands of families of the deceased migrant workers await compensation from FIFA and Qatar to no avail.
The World Cup in Qatar has also been the costliest in terms of its carbon footprint. Despite the tournament being played in the winter, Qatar fitted each open-air stadium with industrial-scale air conditioning.
Many concerns were also raised regarding Qatar’s criminalization of homosexuality. Initially, the England team said they would wear the rainbow ‘One Love’ armband in support of the LGBTQ+ community. FIFA, arguing that it disrespected local customs, strong-armed the England squad, among others, into dropping any forms of public support.
Football has always prided itself on being a game of equality and inclusion. Together, FIFA and Qatar have obliterated this. And yet, not only are they walking away relatively unscathed, they appear all the richer for it. Qatar got its time in the spotlight, highlighting its desire to be considered a major global player and FIFA raked in over $7bn in revenue since the previous World Cup.
Argentina may have won the football, but the real winners of the 2022 World Cup are Qatar and FIFA. While Qatar 2022 may have been the costliest, most bloodstained and environmentally unfriendly World Cup in history, there is no sign that change is on the horizon. It is part of a worrying trend of sports washing, which fans are becoming increasingly numb to. Countries such as China and Saudi Arabia, where authoritarianism runs unchecked and human rights are neglected, are being considered candidates for future World Cups.
Is there a point where fans and politicians finally decide that enough is enough and FIFA cannot be allowed to parade itself above the moral duties of all citizens to stand for human rights? After all, no amount of lives lost is justified by the thrill of watching Lionel Messi’s Argentina take on Mbappé’s France, however spectacular they might be. Or is the twisted money-making spectacle that is FIFA destined to continue flouting questions of morality and decency in the name of football?
Regardless of what the future looks like for football’s governing body, there is no doubt that despite the gripping nature of the football, which saw an unlikely Moroccan success story unfold and highlighted the dwindling presence of heavyweights Belgium and Germany in world football, Qatar 2022 leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth when we consider the cost of this World Cup.
Boxing
Tyson Fury, 34, retained his WBC world heavyweight title by stopping Derek Chisora, 38, in the 10th round of their fight via TKO. Despite Fury coming out of retirement to fight Chisora, there was little doubt among pundits and enthusiasts that Fury would prove too difficult a challenge for Chisora, who has lost four of his last five fights.
Indeed, the mismatch was clear from the outset as Fury dominated his opponent until the referee stopped the fight, as Chisora was visibly hurt. Fury’s victory sets up a potential undisputed heavyweight bout against undefeated Ukrainian fighter Oleksandr Usyk, the current WBA, IBF, WBO & IBO champion.
Rugby Union
England Rugby sacked coach Eddie Jones only three months before the beginning of the Six Nations tournament. England will be looking to improve their record in the tournament, which has seen them finish fifth and third in the past two years.
France has continued to put on a solid display with wins over Japan and South Africa, seeing them finish 2022 unbeaten. In February of 2023, they will be looking to defend their Six Nations title.