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Qatar Offered Fans Free World Cup Trips, but Only on Its Terms
Organizers are providing travel and tickets to fans of the participating teams, including dozens of Americans. But only if they promised not to criticize Qatar, and to report people who do.
It is an offer good enough to make any soccer fan stop and listen. Free flights to the World Cup. Free tickets to matches. Free housing during the tournament and even a bit of spending money.
But the offer comes with a catch.
The handpicked fans who accept this trip of a lifetime — financed by Qatar, the host nation of this year’s World Cup — will be required to abide by contracts that will require them to sing what they’re told to sing, to watch what they say and, most controversially, to report social media posts made by other fans critical of Qatar.
Yet despite those rules, hundreds of supporters have signed up.
The invitations went out in late September, and targeted some of the most well-connected and well-known fan leaders backing the 32 teams headed to the World Cup. A Dutch fan told the broadcaster NOS that he had agreed to vet other supporters from the Netherlands. A board member from the American Outlaws, the biggest U.S. supporters group, agreed to take part, and then helped sign up fellow members and others.
On Thursday, the Outlaws’ member, who accepted an earlier trip to Qatar that was part of the program, said he had decided weeks ago not to accept free travel or housing from Qatar at the World Cup.
Fans from all of FIFA’s confederations, meanwhile, have accepted the offer; dozens have already traveled to Qatar at least once for luxurious pre-World Cup visits. Those, too, were paid for by tournament organizers.
We are not asking you to [be] a mouthpiece for Qatar, but it would obviously not be appropriate for you to disparage Qatar the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (or other relevant entities related to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022) or the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. We know you have your own opinions, and your own style, so based on the facts we present to you, share them in a manner that suits you.
An excerpt from the fan leaders’ code of conduct warns supporters not to disparage Qatar or the World Cup.
You agree to report any offensive, degrading or abusive comments to the SC and, if possible, to take a screenshot of those comments and then promptly delete them. All other comments whether challenging or celebratory about the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 may of course remain publicly visible at your discretion.
Another of the fan leaders’ listed “responsibilities” is to document and report the comments of others.
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