Qatar has had the daily allowances of paid fans ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup revoked just before the tournament.
Authorities in Qatar have informed supporters who traveled there as part of a contentious paid-for supporters program that their money has been taken away.
The Qatari organization in charge of organizing the World Cup, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, is behind the Fan Leader Network.
It has attracted supporters from all around the world by promising them flights, lodging, and a spot at the World Cup opening ceremony in exchange for fervor and encouraging social media posts.
But a report by The Guardian revealed that just as supporters were preparing to leave for the Gulf, a per diem payment for food and drink was canceled, on which some supporters were relying.
Fan Leader Network members from two different European nations said that their payments had been canceled three days prior and that authorities had justified the action by citing the negative headlines that followed the discovery that supporters were getting paid.
In a message viewed by the Guardian, fans were informed: “Due to the recent developments in the media, we are keen to protect our visiting fans from the erroneous misinformed statements regarding ‘fans receiving payment for the trip’. Accordingly, the daily allowance will unfortunately no longer be issued. The allowance was intended as a small uplift on your own personal funds to assist with refreshments during your stay.”
The fans the Guardian spoke to expressed concern about how they would pay for the remainder of their trip even though they claimed that no one had been discouraged from traveling due to the loss of money.
One supporter claimed that they had paid for their car’s maintenance under the presumption that the per diem would be paid.
Members of the Network received the following email: “We requested from the outset that you brought sufficient funds to cover your own living expenses and we have committed to cover flights, accommodation and opening match tickets.”
The announcement follows Fifa’s announcement that alcohol would no longer be sold inside World Cup stadiums and comes two days before the opening ceremony. It is commonly believed that Qatar pushed through this choice on the governing body of football at the eleventh hour.
Concerns will now grow that the organizers’ other promises, such as ensuring the safety of LGBTQ+ supporters in a nation where homosexuality is prohibited, may potentially be broken as well.
The Fan Leader Network’s terms and conditions state that as part of the trip, participants are expected to spread the word about the competition and the experience.
This information was first made public by the Dutch network NOS.
Fans are apparently being requested to report social media posts that are unfavorable of the event, and “‘liking’ and re-sharing third-party posts” would be crucial to the agreement.
According to one of the fans the Guardian spoke with, this arrangement could be readily accomplished by uploading the same kinds of content that they would have already done.
Football Supporters Europe’s executive director, Ronan Evain, stated:“Who would have thought that an authoritarian regime with an appalling workers’ rights record was not to be trusted? I suppose that’s what you get for accepting to be paid the equivalent of a Qatari monthly minimum wage every four days for the pleasure of doing absolutely nothing.”
At the time of publishing this report, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy was yet to officially react to the development.
What To Expect In Qatar 2022
The 2022 World Cup is the final opportunity for Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win the tournament. Back on the greatest platform of them all is Kylian Mbappé.
Brazil is seeking a record-breaking sixth victory. Beginning on Sunday in Qatar is one of the most keenly awaited World Cups in recent memory, both for reasons on and off the field.
The Middle East’s first World Cup features 32 teams, 64 games, and 29 days.
After a break in league action worldwide, attention has turned to Qatar, whose national team will meet Ecuador in the tournament’s opening match later tonight, November 20, 2022.
Prepare yourself for a soccer feast. The top two teams from each of the eight groups of four teams will advance to the round of 16. The final will take place on December 18, 2022.
