Qatar's bid to host the World Cup has been heavily criticised for its human rights record. The country is still light years behind equality between men and women, says Alan Pardew. There are some serious rumours that Saudi Arabia could be a potential host of the tournament. Is there a country too immoral or restrictive to host the tournament? I mean, I believe, China just brought in a kind of human rights element to Olympic Games because it was getting so much criticism earlier this year. Egypt looks like they're actually going to bid for the World Cup, with Greece and Turkey also interested. Newcastle United were allowed to buy anybody who wanted to take part - but not them.
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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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