I think Iran is going to be a huge issue. We've got a replay of the Serbia-Switzerland game, which I covered that game for the New York Times in Russia and because half the, half the team from Kosovo and so that became ahuge issue. So, I think it will, will fade a little bit. But this is, you know, these are going to be questions all the way through. And one of the other things to bring up about this as well is that this is what the government, the royal family, the people in power in Qatar wanted. You know, they wanted this microscope. They wanted this visibility that football and the World Cup brought them but
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The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has officially kicked off, but not without its controversies. Ever since Qatar was awarded the tournament in 2010, making it the first country in the Middle East to do so, there has been scepticism from the West around the decision, with critics citing human rights violations, LGBT rights, and corruption within FIFA. On this episode of the podcast we're joined by journalist and author James Montague who first began covering football in the Middle East two decades ago. Drawing on his book, When Friday Comes: Football revolution in the Middle East and the road to Qatar, he discusses the intersection of football, politics, and global power. The host for this episode is Joey D’Urso, investigations writer for The Athletic UK.
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