I’m a gay, unionist, football fan – so how can I watch the Fifa World Cup in Qatar?
Normally in the weeks leading up to a Fifa World Cup, I plan the alarms I need to set to make sure I don’t miss a single kick-off. This year the World Cup is in Qatar. I’m a gay, unionist, football fan, so how do I prepare to watch a World Cup take place in a place where I wouldn’t feel welcomed?
For football fans, the World Cup is sacred. Even Australians who do not follow the round ball game would know that the most iconic moments in recent Australian football history – John Aloisi’s penalty or Andrew Redmayne’s save – have simply been to
qualify for the tournament. That is how special it is.
The quality, the players, the passion, the drama; there is nothing like it. The fans of every team except for one will end up experiencing gut-wrenching heartbreak as their team bows out, yet we still watch every agonising, joyous moment.
But the beauty of the spectacle has been tainted by Fifa’s decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar. Qatar is not the only country with questions about the treatment of workers or laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTI+ community, and yet it is the only country hosting the World Cup, so the criticism is warranted.
In a sliding doors moment, when Fifa awarded Qatar with the rights to host the 2022 World Cup, Australia also had a bid in contention. We only received a single vote from the 22member committee. The conduct of the bid is well documented, and Fifa’s governance has since been overhauled, but the legacy of this World Cup hasn’t lived up to the promises made by Fifa.
While fair play, respect and equality are inherent values of football, LGBTI+ fans are being asked to watch the game they love being played in a country where their love is considered a crime. It also makes for uncomfortable viewing for games to be played in stadiums built on the backs of unfair working conditions. These aren’t the values of football, which is a multicultural and egalitarian game in its purest form.
Fifa hasn’t helped with the backlash, telling players to “focus on football” implying that players are built to kick a ball without consequence or context. Whether governing bodies like it or not, footballers, like other athletes, are increasingly using their platform to make political statements about racism, homophobia and human rights.
And ultimately, the Socceroos themselves have given Australian football fans a way forward. The language used in the statement released by the players’ union, Professional Footballers Australia, was heartfelt and deliberate. Speaking on a platform of solidarity, the players aligned themselves as union members with migrant workers and spoke about freedom from discrimination.
I support the Socceroos and the Matildas through every win but also every loss, every disappointment, and every missed opportunity. I watched the full video statement alone in an airport and cried because, as a fan, I felt supported by them.
The statement was expertly timed to address the ongoing debate so the team could “focus on football” in Qatar. I suspect we will still see small, respectful statements of solidarity from some players. I hope Football Australia works with PFA to ensure those moments can happen – if that is what the players want to do.
Now it is time for others to join with the Socceroos. No, it should not take a World Cup for human rights to be discussed. But we have this chance so we should use it.
If the beautiful game is truly the world game, then Fifa should expect players and fans to be vocal in equal parts about the goals that get scored and issues that impact people across the globe.
No one can go back and remake the 2009 decision. Still, we – commentators, analysts, journalists, fans, and politicians – should use this opportunity to talk about the brutal reality while celebrating the beautiful game.
We can do both, which is the only way to ensure that the World Cup is a vehicle for the progress promised by Fifa.
• Nita Green is a Labor senator for Queensland and co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Football