Human Interest

When FIFA awarded Qatar the World Cup back in 2010, concerns raised over the degrees of change the conservative country would go through in welcoming the world. My American peers expressed one main inquiry when I shared my plan to travel for the Cup: How will you drink beer over there? 

This morning began the same way as any other World Cup morning would: Wake up at 3:50 a.m., turn on the broadcast from my phone before putting the game on the TV, get my computer to begin writing. But in this exhausted haze, one thing immediately caught my color-deficient eyes: Cameroon and Switzerland were extremely difficult to tell apart. 

There’s an unwritten rule in soccer where players don’t celebrate goals they score against former club teams. Instead of celebrating the player will typically put their hands up in the air (like if a police officer told you to put your hands up).

This kind of thing happens all the time during club play. It’s extremely rare to see on the international level, especially at a World Cup.

Tame would be an understatement when discussing the "One Love" campaign. A message that hopes to unite everyone, "One Love" promotes diversity of thought and acceptance, especially with regard to sexual orientation. Regardless, FIFA felt the need to threaten players with “sporting sanctions” if they were to make a statement on the world stage. While many European nations opted to abandon their message of inclusion, Alex Scott remained undeterred.

DOHA - Players of Iran's national soccer team chose not to sing their country's anthem at their opening World Cup match against England on Monday, in an apparent show of support for protesters back home.

The players were silent as the anthem was played at the Khalifa International Stadium, where Iranian fans gathered in the stands shouted as the music was played. Some were seen making thumbs-down gestures.

There've been plenty of examples demonstrating how Qatar — despite the obscene lengths it's gone to over the last 12 years — is not ready to host the World Cup with the opening match just days away. But there's no turning back now with 1.2 million visitors streaming into the country alongside legions of reporters, journalists and media personalities.

BERLIN — A Qatar World Cup ambassador has told German television broadcaster ZDF that homosexuality was "damage in the mind", as the Gulf state prepares to host the global tournament in less than two weeks.

In an interview filmed in Doha and to be screened later on Tuesday, former Qatari international Khalid Salman addressed the issue of homosexuality, which is illegal in the conservative Muslim country.

The United States’ largest soccer supporters group, the American Outlaws, came under fire Thursday following a New York Times article claiming that a board member accepted a free trip to Qatar in exchange for reporting individuals who are critical of the host nation. The Outlaws have vehemently denied these allegations and issued a statement, saying the organization has never taken money from FIFA or Qatar and will never do so.