Nearly two years before the US men’s national team took the field for its first World Cup qualifier, officials at US Soccer began planning for a tournament in Qatar they knew would bring significant challenges, and raise important issues, should the US make it there.
FIFA’s decision to select Qatar as a World Cup host has been under great scrutiny due to several issues regarding the country’s human rights record, including: workers’ rights and the country’s use of the kafala system for migrant workers; the reported deaths of hundreds of migrant workers tied to the construction of soccer stadiums; women’s rights; and laws that criminalize homosexuality.
Ahead of its potential participation in the tournament played amid all those issues, US Soccer says it established a process built around education, planning and action.
“We wanted to think about: What can we do to help make a positive impact in Qatar? What is a legacy we can leave being at the World Cup?” US Soccer chief communications officer Neil Buethe said. “There has been a lot of progress and change in Qatar. There is debate about how much progress and whether it’s coming quickly enough, but the key is making sure the progress continues. We believe the World Cup can be a catalyst for change, hopefully, in Qatar and across the region. We know more needs to be done, no one thinks it has been good enough to this point, but if we can push that progress, that’s a positive approach. It’s about awareness, about talking about these things and finding ways to ensure that the progress that has been made will continue.
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