Your 2022 FIFA World Cup Primer: Star Players and Human Rights
It's not unusual to be scratching your head wondering why the tournament started in November, instead of June.
This is the first year that the men's World Cup has not been held in the summer, and it's only one of many anomalies that will make the 22nd edition of the biggest sporting event on the planet.
There are many storylines that weave through this tournament. The average soccer fan may not know all of them, but here are five
From the human rights issues in Qatar to the potential swan song to both Lionel Messi (and Cristiano Ronaldo) - To give you an idea what to expect
Since Qatar was awarded the World Cup 2010 in Qatar, the corruption in FIFA, the international soccer governing body, has come to light.
It's not only the horrible state of daily Qatari life for non-native males, but also the corruption within FIFA.
Qatari laws consider women lower-class citizens. Migrant workers responsible for building the infrastructure necessary for hosting the World Cup have been treated even worse.
Amnesty International stated that the workers were "exploitation and abused" and "exposed to unpaid wages, forced labour, and excessive work hours."
It is not surprising, but it is also not surprising, that Qatar was granted a World Cup. FIFA claims that it is committed to human rights and equality.
However, FIFA has so much intrinsic corruption within its organization that these votes were basically bought for hosting rights (just like they were for Russia's World Cup 2018).