FIFA has written to all 32 teams taking part in the World Cup telling them it is time to “focus on football”.
The tournament, which started on November 20 in Qatar, is surrounded by controversy.
Qatar has been criticized for its stance on same-sex relationships, its human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers.
A peaceful protest has been planned by some players.
England’s Harry Kane and nine other captains of European teams will wear ‘One Love’ armbands.
Denmark will wear “toned down” shirts for the World Cup to protest Qatar – with their kit supplier Hummel saying he “doesn’t want to be seen” at a tournament he claims has “lost thousands of lives”. “.
Despite France being the defending champions, Paris and other French cities are refusing to show World Cup matches in public areas.
Australia’s squad has released a video urging Qatar to scrap its same-sex laws.
Speaking this week, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said it was “not fair” to expect players to make political statements or protest at the tournament.
And England’s Beth Meade said on Thursday it was “disappointing” that the tournament was being held in Qatar. Mead, who is openly gay, doesn’t think the Gulf state is the “right place” to host the tournament.
Other off-field issues include Russia currently being sanctioned by FIFA following its invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the Ukrainian FA has called on Iran to ban the World Cup due to “systematic human rights violations”. He believes a crackdown on protests in the country “could violate the rules and regulations” of FIFA.
The World Cup has been moved to winter for the first time. Qatar initially proposed hosting the final in an air-conditioned indoor stadium during the summer, but the plan was rejected.
Qatar’s World Cup organizers say “everyone is welcome” to visit the country to watch football, and that no one will be discriminated against.
Now the game’s world governing body has written to all competing nations.
The letter, signed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary-general Fatima Samora, urged countries to “focus on football now” and said: “Everyone’s origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation , or are welcome regardless of nationality.”
It also said: “We know that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature around the world.”
Seven new stadiums have been built for the event, as well as an airport, roads and around 100 hotels. Qatar’s government says 30,000 foreign workers, mostly from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and the Philippines, have been hired to build the stadium.
Human rights groups have complained about the treatment of foreign workers in Qatar and the number of deaths there.
In February 2021, the Guardian stated that 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died since Qatar won its World Cup bid.
This number is based on data provided by the embassies of countries in Qatar.
However, Qatar’s government said the totals were misleading, as not all deaths recorded were of people working on World Cup-related projects.
The government said its accident records showed there were 37 worker deaths on World Cup stadium construction sites between 2014 and 2020, of which only three were “work-related”.
JEE News has also collected evidence showing that the Qatari government has underreported deaths among foreign workers.
England’s Football Association has backed demands for compensation for “any injury or death related to any construction project” for the World Cup.
