Philipp Lahm is boycotting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
He says: “Human rights should play the biggest role in the awarding of a tournament."
August 10, 2022, 6:48 pm

Philipp Lahm is boycotting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

Philipp Lahm is a German former professional footballer who played as a full-back - Paula Lina Auksutat's Twitter account

Former Germany captain Philipp Lahm says he will boycott this year’s FIFA World Cup over human rights abuses by host Qatar, the metro reported.

The Gulf state was controversially handed the tournament back in 2010 by FIFA despite human rights concerns, and the opening match is now just over three months away.

Lahm, 38-year-old, who lifted the trophy for Germany at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, has insisted that human rights should be the most important factor to consider before a country is awarded football's most prestigious tournament.

He has taken personal decision not to travel to Qatar, saying: ‘I’m not part of the delegation and I’m not keen on flying there as a fan,’ the ex-Bayern Munich full-back told Kicker in his homeland. I prefer to follow the tournament from home."

“Human rights should play the biggest role in the awarding of a tournament. If a country is awarded the contract that is one of the worst performers in this regard, you start to think about the criteria used to make the decision.”

Philipp Lahm says he will be boycotting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/RSDg8JLwMk
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 9, 2022

“That shouldn’t happen again in the future. Human rights, sustainability, the size of the country… none of that seems to have played a role.”

Lahm is also banking on the likes of captain Manuel Neuer openly discussing the issue during the time they are playing in Qatar, saying: ‘As a player, you can’t get around it anymore.’

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Qatar has a dreadful record on human rights, and a 2021 investigation by The Guardian found that 6,500 migrant workers have died working on World Cup-related infrastructure projects due to unsafe working conditions.

According to Amnesty International, Qatari ‘authorities continue to curtail freedom of expression using abusive laws to stifle critical voices,’ while women and LGBTQ+ people are severely oppressed.

Source: metro

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