Why is there so much controversy around the Fifa world cup 2022, taking place in a middle eastern country for the first time. The tournament is a unique marketing opportunity, but host country Qatar is facing allegations that it was mistreating migrant workers and LGBTQ+ citizens. Brands in the fashion sector have been comparatively quiet when coming to the world cup. 

One of the most significant issues concerning the World Cup is the condition of migrant workers. Qatar had no infrastructure for the World Cup when it won its bid. So it needed to be built entirely within ten years. This required lots of workforce, and cheap labour. Seven new stadiums, the expansion of  the airport, a new metro system and a small city were built to host the fans… experts estimate 2 billion dollars put into hosting the World cup in Qatar. 

The conditions of the construction workers were terrible, the housing conditions reported were terrible. According to the Guardian, more than  6750 workers have died since the construction of the event.  

For the moment very little fashion brands have mentioned their concerns of the human rights or climate aspect of the event, maybe in the near future we will be hearing more.