Everybody is welcome in Doha,’ the Emir of Qatar said this summer, ‘but we expect and we want people to respect our culture.’ Hassan Al-Thawadi echoed his leader last week: ‘Everyone is welcome.’
He is in charge of the Supreme Committee, the body responsible for fulfilling the host nation’s responsibilities for the World Cup. He should know, right?
Fifa president Gianni Infantino repeated the sentiment when marking a month to go. He got a little more specific than his Qatari colleagues: ‘Everyone will be welcomed to the tournament regardless of origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality.’
I mean, it’s a bloody World Cup. The biggest sporting event on the planet. How could that be in doubt?
Well, a number of people don’t feel very welcome.