Lahm: WC ‘doesn’t belong’ in Qatar

Seven days before the World Cup is due to start in Qatar, former Germany captain Philipp Lahm says it was “a mistake” to award the tournament to the Gulf Arab country. Lahm, who’s head of Germany’s organizing committee for the 2024 European Championship, wrote Sunday in a column for Zeit Online that the World Cup “doesn’t belong” in Qatar and he criticized the human rights situation in the nation. Lahm acknowledged some progress “but homosexuals are still being criminalized, women do not have the same rights as men, and there are restrictions on freedom of the press and expression.” He added that conditions for migrant workers are “devastating.” Lahm won the World Cup with Germany in 2014. “FIFA has damaged soccer and its credibility as a western organization,” the 39-year-old said. Lahm’s comments come after widespread protests in Germany from fans who have been voicing the same concerns. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter also recently criticized the decision to award the tournament to Qatar.