The much-awaited World Cup qualifier between the South American giants Argentina and Brazil was suspended shortly after kick-off and dramatic scenes erupted on Sunday (September 5) over the controversy related to COVID-19 protocols.

The much-awaited World Cup qualifier between the South American giants Argentina and Brazil was suspended shortly after kick-off and dramatic scenes erupted on Sunday (September 5) over the controversy related to COVID-19 protocols. The Brazilian health authorities interrupted the game within less than ten minutes, accusing a number of English Premier League players of violating the country's COVID-19 quarantine rules and triggering a drama involving team officials and players from both sides. Here's what happened: As soon as the match started at Sao Paulo's Neo Quimica Arena it was suspended. According to Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), the Premier League players — Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero of Tottenham, and Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia — provided "false information" upon their entry to Brazil. Romero, Lo Celso and Martinez were all in Argentina's starting line-up for Sunday's game — prompting the surreal intervention of ANVISA officials. ALSO READ | Bizarre scenes! Brazil-Argentina match halted as police storm on field to arrest 4 Premier League players 🚨⚽️ | NEW: Footage shows Brazilian officials entering the pitch during the Brazil vs Argentina game to allegedly detain 4 Argentinian players who had entered the country from England pic.twitter.com/3X0PkNghmN — Football For All (@FootballlForAll) September 5, 2021 × Now that the Brazil vs Argentina match is officially suspended, let's enjoy this reunion clip of Lionel Messi, Dani Alves & Neymar Jr 💙❤pic.twitter.com/EOaHMcPfp9 — Messaitama🤺🇦🇷 (@messaitama) September 5, 2021 × The four players were accused of failing to disclose that they had spent time in the United Kingdom in the 14 days before they arrived in Brazil, where COVID-19 has claimed more than 580,000 lives. The controversy comes after nine Brazilians based in the Premier League failed to travel to South America following objections from their clubs. Argentinian media outlet TyC Sports reported that the players travelled back with the rest of the squad and had been classified as 'deportees'. Who said what? However, as per the Argentina FA, the group had been in Brazilian territory since Friday (September 3) and they were complying with all of the COVID-19 related protocols and other measures regulated by Conmebol, organisers of the qualifiers. Argentina captain Lionel Messi hit out at the intervention by Brazilian officials. "We've been here for three days, why are you doing this just now?" he said on Argentina's TyC network. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was similarly incensed, telling media that "at no time were we told that they could not play the game." ALSO READ | Neymar Jr responds to fans who 'fat-shamed' him during Brazil vs Chile match The Argentina team arrived back in Buenos Aires during Monday's early hours. Argentina Football Association president Claudio Tapia said the federation had followed FIFA protocols for the game, pushing back at the claim that players had falsified entry records. "It is not possible to speak of any lie," Tapia said. Brazilian officials were unrepentant about the decision to halt the game. "We got to this point because everything that ANVISA directed, from the first moment, was not fulfilled," ANVISA director Antonio Barra Torres said on Brazilian television. The four players "were directed to remain isolated while awaiting deportation, but they did not comply. They went to the stadium and they entered the field, in a series of breaches," the official added. (Image: Brazil's Neymar (L) and Argentina's Lionel Messi talk before their South American qualification football match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at the Neo Quimica Arena, also known as Corinthians Arena, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on September 5, 2021. Source: AFP) Here's what the COVID-19 rules say: Recently, the Premier League had initially refused to release all players who were set to play international matches in red-listed countries and Brazil is one of them. A government order dating from June 23 prohibits the entry into Brazilian territory of any foreign person from the United Kingdom, India or South Africa, to prevent the spread of variants of the coronavirus. "ANVISA considers that this situation represents a serious health risk and recommends that the local health authorities (of Sao Paulo) order the immediate quarantine of the players, who are prohibited from taking part in any activity and from remaining on Brazilian territory," the agency said in a statement earlier Sunday. The agency also said Argentina's delegation had been warned in a meeting on Saturday that the players at the centre of the controversy must be quarantined and should not play any part in Sunday's game. (Image: Employees of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) enter to the field during the South American qualification football match for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between Brazil and Argentina at the Neo Quimica Arena, also known as Corinthians Arena, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on September 5, 2021. Source: AFP) When the match will be played? South American football's governing body CONMEBOL said in a statement that the game had been "suspended" but did not say when or if the match would be replayed, or whether either team would forfeit the game. "By decision of the match referee, the match organized by FIFA between Brazil and Argentina for the qualifiers for the World Cup is suspended," CONMEBOL said in a statement. "The referee and the match commissioner will submit a report to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, which will determine the steps to follow. These procedures adhere strictly to current regulations." (inputs from agencies)

Explained: Health officials and police invaded football pitch, here's why Argentina vs Brazil was suspended

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah will be a notable absentee due to coronavirus travel restrictions when the group phase of qualifying in Africa for the 2022 World Cup finally kicks off on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Salah plays for Egypt, who are on the United Kingdom travel 'red list', and he would have to quarantine for 10 days when he returns from his homeland, sidelining him for four fixtures.&nbsp;

Both world body FIFA and African confederation CAF have pleaded, without success, for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to exempt African footballers on World Cup duty.

Stars in other European countries could also be affected as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc with an African group schedule that has already been delayed three times.

A look at the 10 four-team groups and which countries may reach the final qualifying stage.&nbsp;

<h2>Group A</h2>

As if facing African champions Algeria, who are unbeaten in 27 matches since November 2018, was not sufficiently intimidating, rivals Burkina Faso, Niger and Djibouti are barred from playing at home. &nbsp;

All must use neutral venues because their stadium facilities and/or pitch does not meet international standards, making Riyad Mahrez-captained Algeria hot favourites to advance.

b

<h2>Group B</h2>

Wahbi Khazri-led Tunisia are among the most successful African countries when it comes to World Cup qualifying, reaching the finals five times.

They will face tough opposition on visits to resurgent Zambia, rising Mauritania and improving Equatorial Guinea, but it would be a shock if they did not finish first.&nbsp;

<h2>Group C</h2>

Although Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr is pleading caution, the German knows that failure to finish above Cape Verde, the Central African Republic and Liberia will trigger his dismissal.

Since missing out on the 2006 World Cup, the Super Eagles have reached every finals and Rohr has more than enough talent to maintain the successful streak.&nbsp;

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<h2>Group D</h2>

Cameroon were grouped with Serge Aurier-captained Ivory Coast, the second seeds every coach wanted to avoid when the draw was made in Cairo more than two years ago.&nbsp;

Modest southern Africa sides Mozambique and Malawi complete a section that looks like a two-horse race between seven-time World Cup qualifiers Cameroon and three-time participants Ivory Coast.&nbsp;

<h2>Group E</h2>

Top seeds Mali and east African nations Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda make up the only group not containing a previous World Cup qualifier.&nbsp;

Given that Uganda have slumped, Kenya flatter to deceive and Rwanda are ranked 35th in Africa, a Malian side including Southampton midfielder Moussa Djenepo should prevail.

<h2>Group F</h2>

Egypt lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy a record seven times, but have a poor World Cup record, reaching the finals only twice since official qualifying began in Africa.&nbsp;

"Far too often we talk of easy groups, then fail," warned coach Hossam el Badry before the Pharaohs tackle Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang-inspired Gabon, Libya and Angola.

<h2>Group G</h2>

Automatic 2010 entrants as hosts, South Africa have not reached a World Cup as qualifiers for 20 years and that depressing situation is likely to continue under new coach Hugo Broos.&nbsp;

The Belgian, who made Cameroon African champions in 2017, has chosen a young, raw squad with an eye on the future, leaving Ghana as favourites to finish above South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.

<h2>Group H</h2>

This appears the easiest section to predict with number one ranked African team Senegal, including Liverpool star Sadio Mane, seemingly far superior to Congo Brazzaville, Namibia and Togo.&nbsp;

Namibia have the added handicaps of no football being played locally for several years due to bickering officials, and being among eight nations barred from hosting matches.

<h2>Group I</h2>

The pressure will be on Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic, whose contract states that failure to reach the 2022 World Cup can lead to the sack.

Morocco are capable of collecting maximum points at home to Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan, but visits to Conakry and Omdurman will be tough for a team that includes Chelsea fringe midfielder Hakim Ziyech.&nbsp;

<h2>Group J</h2>

Perhaps the most open section as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Madagascar and Tanzania are all struggling, with none of them qualifying for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

Slight favourites DR Congo were World Cup qualifiers in 1974 when the vast country was called Zaire and have hired Argentine coach Hector Cuper, who took Egypt to the last World Cup.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah will be a notable absentee due to coronavirus travel restrictions when the group phase of qualifying in Africa for the 2022 World Cup finally kicks off on Wednesday.

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah will be a notable absentee due to coronavirus travel restrictions when the group phase of qualifying in Africa for the 2022 World Cup finally kicks off on Wednesday. Salah plays for Egypt, who are on the United Kingdom travel 'red list', and he would have to quarantine for 10 days when he returns from his homeland, sidelining him for four fixtures. Both world body FIFA and African confederation CAF have pleaded, without success, for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to exempt African footballers on World Cup duty. Stars in other European countries could also be affected as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc with an African group schedule that has already been delayed three times. A look at the 10 four-team groups and which countries may reach the final qualifying stage. Group A As if facing African champions Algeria, who are unbeaten in 27 matches since November 2018, was not sufficiently intimidating, rivals Burkina Faso, Niger and Djibouti are barred from playing at home. All must use neutral venues because their stadium facilities and/or pitch does not meet international standards, making Riyad Mahrez-captained Algeria hot favourites to advance. b Group B Wahbi Khazri-led Tunisia are among the most successful African countries when it comes to World Cup qualifying, reaching the finals five times. They will face tough opposition on visits to resurgent Zambia, rising Mauritania and improving Equatorial Guinea, but it would be a shock if they did not finish first. Group C Although Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr is pleading caution, the German knows that failure to finish above Cape Verde, the Central African Republic and Liberia will trigger his dismissal. Since missing out on the 2006 World Cup, the Super Eagles have reached every finals and Rohr has more than enough talent to maintain the successful streak. ALSO READ | Lionel Messi makes his debut in Ligue 1 as Kylian Mbappe steals the show with twin strikes in PSG's 2-0 win vs Reims Group D Cameroon were grouped with Serge Aurier-captained Ivory Coast, the second seeds every coach wanted to avoid when the draw was made in Cairo more than two years ago. Modest southern Africa sides Mozambique and Malawi complete a section that looks like a two-horse race between seven-time World Cup qualifiers Cameroon and three-time participants Ivory Coast. Group E Top seeds Mali and east African nations Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda make up the only group not containing a previous World Cup qualifier. Given that Uganda have slumped, Kenya flatter to deceive and Rwanda are ranked 35th in Africa, a Malian side including Southampton midfielder Moussa Djenepo should prevail. Group F Egypt lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy a record seven times, but have a poor World Cup record, reaching the finals only twice since official qualifying began in Africa. "Far too often we talk of easy groups, then fail," warned coach Hossam el Badry before the Pharaohs tackle Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang-inspired Gabon, Libya and Angola. Group G Automatic 2010 entrants as hosts, South Africa have not reached a World Cup as qualifiers for 20 years and that depressing situation is likely to continue under new coach Hugo Broos. The Belgian, who made Cameroon African champions in 2017, has chosen a young, raw squad with an eye on the future, leaving Ghana as favourites to finish above South Africa, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. Group H This appears the easiest section to predict with number one ranked African team Senegal, including Liverpool star Sadio Mane, seemingly far superior to Congo Brazzaville, Namibia and Togo. Namibia have the added handicaps of no football being played locally for several years due to bickering officials, and being among eight nations barred from hosting matches. Group I The pressure will be on Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic, whose contract states that failure to reach the 2022 World Cup can lead to the sack. Morocco are capable of collecting maximum points at home to Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan, but visits to Conakry and Omdurman will be tough for a team that includes Chelsea fringe midfielder Hakim Ziyech. Group J Perhaps the most open section as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Madagascar and Tanzania are all struggling, with none of them qualifying for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. Slight favourites DR Congo were World Cup qualifiers in 1974 when the vast country was called Zaire and have hired Argentine coach Hector Cuper, who took Egypt to the last World Cup.

No Mohamed Salah as World Cup group phase of qualifying in Africa finally kicks off

Qatar is in talks with coronavirus vaccine makers to ensure all fans attending the 2022 World Cup in the country have been vaccinated, the foreign minister said Friday.

The Gulf nation is facing a resurgence of virus cases and deaths despite progress in its mass vaccination programme, forcing authorities to impose a nationwide lockdown.

"We have been negotiating and talking to the vaccination providers on how we can make sure that everyone attending the World Cup is vaccinated," Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said.&nbsp;

"Right now there are programs under development to provide vaccination to all the attendees of the World Cup," he added during the Raisina Dialogue, a virtual event hosted by the Observer Research Foundation.

"We will be able, hopefully, to host a COVID-free event. We also hope that globally the pandemic will start to go down and disappear."&nbsp;

Globally no one vaccine certification system has yet been universally accepted or recognised, though the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass has gained popularity amongst Gulf airlines including Qatar Airways.

As of Friday, 194,930 of Qatar's 2.75 million people have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, with 21,965 currently active cases -- almost one percent of the population.

Over 26,000 vaccine jabs were administered on Friday, bringing the total to 1,209,648 doses, according to official data.

One in five of the 367 deaths Qatar has suffered since the start of the pandemic has been reported this month with officials blaming the more virulent British variant.&nbsp;

Last week Qatar announced the reimposition of strict lockdown measures, banning most indoor activities except retail and work in an effort to contain the virus.

Qatar has defied soaring coronavirus case numbers to stage several high profile global sporting events in recent months, serving as a test bed for different restrictions but also suffering high-profile infection cases.

The wealthy Gulf nation has bucked the trend of more established sporting nations which have cancelled or postponed a slew of leading events, instead hosting soccer, tennis, motorcycling, judo and beach volleyball since January.

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has previously said that measures to contain the coronavirus will need to be taken during the 2022 tournament but did not given details.

"Maybe some precautionary measures have to be taken," he told AFP during the FIFA Club World Cup in Doha in February.

As well as saying unspecified distancing measures could still be in place for next year's World Cup, Infantino suggested FIFA could "concretely" help travelling fans from countries with patchy vaccine rollouts.

"We need to see how the situation looks by then. It's very difficult to foresee now.

"It will take a little bit of time, and we have two years of time to come back to some sort of normality."

Qatar is in talks with coronavirus vaccine makers to ensure all fans attending the 2022 World Cup in the country have been vaccinated, the foreign minister said Friday.

Qatar is in talks with coronavirus vaccine makers to ensure all fans attending the 2022 World Cup in the country have been vaccinated, the foreign minister said Friday. The Gulf nation is facing a resurgence of virus cases and deaths despite progress in its mass vaccination programme, forcing authorities to impose a nationwide lockdown. "We have been negotiating and talking to the vaccination providers on how we can make sure that everyone attending the World Cup is vaccinated," Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said. "Right now there are programs under development to provide vaccination to all the attendees of the World Cup," he added during the Raisina Dialogue, a virtual event hosted by the Observer Research Foundation. "We will be able, hopefully, to host a COVID-free event. We also hope that globally the pandemic will start to go down and disappear." Globally no one vaccine certification system has yet been universally accepted or recognised, though the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass has gained popularity amongst Gulf airlines including Qatar Airways. As of Friday, 194,930 of Qatar's 2.75 million people have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, with 21,965 currently active cases -- almost one percent of the population. Over 26,000 vaccine jabs were administered on Friday, bringing the total to 1,209,648 doses, according to official data. One in five of the 367 deaths Qatar has suffered since the start of the pandemic has been reported this month with officials blaming the more virulent British variant. Last week Qatar announced the reimposition of strict lockdown measures, banning most indoor activities except retail and work in an effort to contain the virus. Qatar has defied soaring coronavirus case numbers to stage several high profile global sporting events in recent months, serving as a test bed for different restrictions but also suffering high-profile infection cases. The wealthy Gulf nation has bucked the trend of more established sporting nations which have cancelled or postponed a slew of leading events, instead hosting soccer, tennis, motorcycling, judo and beach volleyball since January. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino has previously said that measures to contain the coronavirus will need to be taken during the 2022 tournament but did not given details. "Maybe some precautionary measures have to be taken," he told AFP during the FIFA Club World Cup in Doha in February. As well as saying unspecified distancing measures could still be in place for next year's World Cup, Infantino suggested FIFA could "concretely" help travelling fans from countries with patchy vaccine rollouts. "We need to see how the situation looks by then. It's very difficult to foresee now. "It will take a little bit of time, and we have two years of time to come back to some sort of normality."

Qatar seeking virus jabs for all World Cup visitors

The ruling could not have been more clear.

One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA.

The official, Mariyam Mohamed, also convinced judges at sports’ top court that an influential Kuwaiti sheikh had actively interfered in elections held by the Asian Football Confederation in 2019 to achieve his desired outcome.

The full ruling, which has not been published, was obtained by The New York Times. In it, a panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland concluded that the inaction by Asian soccer officials over several months amounted to a “denial of justice” for Mohamed. Yet two months since the decision was announced, the effect of what appears to be a powerful denunciation of ethics breaches and a disregard for women’s rights has had all the effect of a snowball hitting a tank.

Nothing has happened.

The tainted elections will not be rerun. The men who offered Mohamed inducements to drop out have not been punished. And soccer’s leaders have taken no action.

FIFA said in an email it had no comment, even though it previously insisted it would follow up on the court’s findings with soccer officials in Asia. Asian soccer’s governing body also declined to comment, saying its leaders had nothing to add to a January statement in which they had pledged the organization would review the findings.

For Mohamed, the silence has been maddening.

“It’s just a game for them, justice denial, the same process that I was in,” she said in a phone interview. “They’re waiting for time to pass by, and hoping I get fed up. Now the verdict has come, and it’s just very sad. I don’t know where else to go now.”

Mohamed, who filed her complaints to the Asian federation’s disciplinary department in May 2019, says she initially celebrated the ruling, but came to realize it may amount to a Pyrrhic victory.

She has not been contacted by officials from the AFC, she said. Nor has she heard from ethics investigators from FIFA, even though the organization’s rules state that gender discrimination is “strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.”

The case and its aftermath have highlighted how power works in global sports. It shows how a tainted Gulf royal linked to other cases of corruption has been able to exert significant control over one of soccer’s largest governing bodies even though he has no official role in its affairs. And it shows how a strategy of delay can be its own kind of injustice.

Mohamed’s case had roots in FIFA’s response to its own problems with discrimination: To address a lack of women on its governing board, the organization since 2013 set aside specific seats for women, starting with one voting member in 2013 and now a minimum of one from each of FIFA’s six regional confederations.

Mohamed, a former soccer player and coach from the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, had hoped to win the AFC’s spot in a vote in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in April 2019. It did not take her long to realize that the power brokers of Asian soccer had already decided the election’s outcome.

She filed her first complaints about the election to the Asian confederation’s disciplinary department a month later. Emails show the organization responded to her inquiries by insisting it had begun an investigation, although it appears little was done. The AFC, citing confidentiality, refused to supply any evidence of its investigation to the court.

At a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last July, the AFC hardly put up a defense. Its lawyers offered no witnesses to challenge Mohamed’s testimony that a top confederation official and the head of the soccer federation of Qatar had been present in a luxury hotel suite when the Kuwaiti sheikh, Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, told Mohamed he had decided that his preferred candidate, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh, would be elected as the AFC’s female representative to the FIFA Council.

Mohamed was told she should drop her candidacy, and do so within 24 hours. She later claimed, in testimony that went unchallenged by the AFC, that Sheikh Ahmad attempted to mollify her by saying he had so much sway in international soccer circles that he could obtain for her “any other position of her choosing at the AFC or FIFA” in exchange for her withdrawal.

By this point, Sheikh Ahmad had no official role in soccer, having resigned his position on the FIFA Council in 2017 after allegations emerged in a U.S. federal court that he had bribed Asian officials. But Mohamed’s decision to take her case to court provided a rare public glimpse into his continuing stature as a power broker in global sports through his role as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia, an organization created by his father in 1982.

At a 2013 International Olympic Committee meeting, for example, Sheikh Ahmad’s support helped Thomas Bach secure the IOC presidency and also deliver the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo. Since he was indicted in a forgery case unrelated to sports in 2018, he has “self-suspended” from two prominent Olympic roles. But his opinion still carries weight.

Before the AFC’s 2019 elections, his legal troubles did not seem to be an issue. A list of his favored candidates was distributed to AFC voters on the eve of the elections and, aware of the talks with Mohamed and of Sheikh Ahmad’s preference for a different candidate, the leaders of several federations pressured Mohamed to drop out, she said. She declined to withdraw, and lost the vote, 31-15. Every candidate on Sheikh Ahmad’s list, however, was elected to seats on the AFC’s executive board or, as in Kiron’s case, as a confederation representative to FIFA.

After reviewing the evidence presented by Mohamed and her lawyers, the CAS panel made clear in the summary of its decision that it agreed with her version of the events. The panel confirmed that the 2019 elections had breached FIFA and AFC rules on gender discrimination. It concluded that Sheikh Ahmad had tried to influence the outcome, and that the AFC had denied Mohamed justice by not making a ruling on her complaint. It did, however, also say that by not bowing out of the elections, Mohamed ensured the sheikh’s efforts to influence the election in her case were not effective.

But the court said it was powerless to order that the flawed elections be annulled, or to punish any of the individuals accused of interfering with them. Any decision on further action was for FIFA, and the AFC, to decide, the court said.

Because of the rules governing the court, the panel’s full findings have been cloaked in secrecy since the verdict was announced on Jan. 25.

“If nothing happens it is a disgrace for FIFA, the AFC, and undermines the authority of CAS indirectly,” said Miguel Maduro, the former FIFA governance head who gave evidence in Mohamed’s case. “This award and what follows tells us at once that CAS has exposed corruption at the highest level of elections in football and at the same time tells us they cannot do anything about it.”

Maduro added that at the very least, FIFA should have initiated an ethics inquiry after the ruling. To date, it has not.

Such a move, though, would be extremely sensitive for soccer’s global leadership. The FIFA official responsible for overseeing the 2019 election, Eduardo Ache, told the CAS panel that soccer’s guidelines to improve female representation were mere recommendations. The panel said Ache’s evidence suggested he was “prepared to accept any discrimination provided at least one woman was elected to FIFA.”

But pressing for discipline in the case also could be uncomfortable for FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, who relies on the support of national and regional soccer leaders to push his agenda. He recently spent two weeks touring Africa, for example, to ensure that his favored candidate, a South African billionaire with no high-level experience in soccer administration, was elected president of the continent’s regional confederation. And he is unlikely to press for discipline against the leader of Qatar’s soccer federation — reportedly present when Mohamed was offered inducements to step aside — or any other Asian leader a year before Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup.

The longer the full ruling in Mohamed’s case goes unpublished, though, the more it will give the appearance soccer’s leaders are trying to brush a problematic situation under the carpet, said Johan Lindholm, a professor of law at Umea University in Sweden who has published a book on CAS.

“Whether it’s because of bad PR or there are other things going on, then you would probably want to keep it as secret as possible,” Lindholm said.

The ruling could not have been more clear. One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA.

The ruling could not have been more clear. One of soccer’s six regional bodies had engaged in discriminatory behavior against a female official by hindering her chances of getting a seat on its board and a leadership position with the sport’s global governing body, FIFA. The official, Mariyam Mohamed, also convinced judges at sports’ top court that an influential Kuwaiti sheikh had actively interfered in elections held by the Asian Football Confederation in 2019 to achieve his desired outcome. The full ruling, which has not been published, was obtained by The New York Times. In it, a panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland concluded that the inaction by Asian soccer officials over several months amounted to a “denial of justice” for Mohamed. Yet two months since the decision was announced, the effect of what appears to be a powerful denunciation of ethics breaches and a disregard for women’s rights has had all the effect of a snowball hitting a tank. Nothing has happened. The tainted elections will not be rerun. The men who offered Mohamed inducements to drop out have not been punished. And soccer’s leaders have taken no action. FIFA said in an email it had no comment, even though it previously insisted it would follow up on the court’s findings with soccer officials in Asia. Asian soccer’s governing body also declined to comment, saying its leaders had nothing to add to a January statement in which they had pledged the organization would review the findings. For Mohamed, the silence has been maddening. “It’s just a game for them, justice denial, the same process that I was in,” she said in a phone interview. “They’re waiting for time to pass by, and hoping I get fed up. Now the verdict has come, and it’s just very sad. I don’t know where else to go now.” Mohamed, who filed her complaints to the Asian federation’s disciplinary department in May 2019, says she initially celebrated the ruling, but came to realize it may amount to a Pyrrhic victory. She has not been contacted by officials from the AFC, she said. Nor has she heard from ethics investigators from FIFA, even though the organization’s rules state that gender discrimination is “strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.” The case and its aftermath have highlighted how power works in global sports. It shows how a tainted Gulf royal linked to other cases of corruption has been able to exert significant control over one of soccer’s largest governing bodies even though he has no official role in its affairs. And it shows how a strategy of delay can be its own kind of injustice. Mohamed’s case had roots in FIFA’s response to its own problems with discrimination: To address a lack of women on its governing board, the organization since 2013 set aside specific seats for women, starting with one voting member in 2013 and now a minimum of one from each of FIFA’s six regional confederations. Mohamed, a former soccer player and coach from the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, had hoped to win the AFC’s spot in a vote in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in April 2019. It did not take her long to realize that the power brokers of Asian soccer had already decided the election’s outcome. She filed her first complaints about the election to the Asian confederation’s disciplinary department a month later. Emails show the organization responded to her inquiries by insisting it had begun an investigation, although it appears little was done. The AFC, citing confidentiality, refused to supply any evidence of its investigation to the court. At a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last July, the AFC hardly put up a defense. Its lawyers offered no witnesses to challenge Mohamed’s testimony that a top confederation official and the head of the soccer federation of Qatar had been present in a luxury hotel suite when the Kuwaiti sheikh, Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, told Mohamed he had decided that his preferred candidate, Mahfuza Akhter Kiron of Bangladesh, would be elected as the AFC’s female representative to the FIFA Council. Mohamed was told she should drop her candidacy, and do so within 24 hours. She later claimed, in testimony that went unchallenged by the AFC, that Sheikh Ahmad attempted to mollify her by saying he had so much sway in international soccer circles that he could obtain for her “any other position of her choosing at the AFC or FIFA” in exchange for her withdrawal. By this point, Sheikh Ahmad had no official role in soccer, having resigned his position on the FIFA Council in 2017 after allegations emerged in a U.S. federal court that he had bribed Asian officials. But Mohamed’s decision to take her case to court provided a rare public glimpse into his continuing stature as a power broker in global sports through his role as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia, an organization created by his father in 1982. At a 2013 International Olympic Committee meeting, for example, Sheikh Ahmad’s support helped Thomas Bach secure the IOC presidency and also deliver the 2020 Olympics to Tokyo. Since he was indicted in a forgery case unrelated to sports in 2018, he has “self-suspended” from two prominent Olympic roles. But his opinion still carries weight. Before the AFC’s 2019 elections, his legal troubles did not seem to be an issue. A list of his favored candidates was distributed to AFC voters on the eve of the elections and, aware of the talks with Mohamed and of Sheikh Ahmad’s preference for a different candidate, the leaders of several federations pressured Mohamed to drop out, she said. She declined to withdraw, and lost the vote, 31-15. Every candidate on Sheikh Ahmad’s list, however, was elected to seats on the AFC’s executive board or, as in Kiron’s case, as a confederation representative to FIFA. After reviewing the evidence presented by Mohamed and her lawyers, the CAS panel made clear in the summary of its decision that it agreed with her version of the events. The panel confirmed that the 2019 elections had breached FIFA and AFC rules on gender discrimination. It concluded that Sheikh Ahmad had tried to influence the outcome, and that the AFC had denied Mohamed justice by not making a ruling on her complaint. It did, however, also say that by not bowing out of the elections, Mohamed ensured the sheikh’s efforts to influence the election in her case were not effective. But the court said it was powerless to order that the flawed elections be annulled, or to punish any of the individuals accused of interfering with them. Any decision on further action was for FIFA, and the AFC, to decide, the court said. Because of the rules governing the court, the panel’s full findings have been cloaked in secrecy since the verdict was announced on Jan. 25. “If nothing happens it is a disgrace for FIFA, the AFC, and undermines the authority of CAS indirectly,” said Miguel Maduro, the former FIFA governance head who gave evidence in Mohamed’s case. “This award and what follows tells us at once that CAS has exposed corruption at the highest level of elections in football and at the same time tells us they cannot do anything about it.” Maduro added that at the very least, FIFA should have initiated an ethics inquiry after the ruling. To date, it has not. Such a move, though, would be extremely sensitive for soccer’s global leadership. The FIFA official responsible for overseeing the 2019 election, Eduardo Ache, told the CAS panel that soccer’s guidelines to improve female representation were mere recommendations. The panel said Ache’s evidence suggested he was “prepared to accept any discrimination provided at least one woman was elected to FIFA.” But pressing for discipline in the case also could be uncomfortable for FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, who relies on the support of national and regional soccer leaders to push his agenda. He recently spent two weeks touring Africa, for example, to ensure that his favored candidate, a South African billionaire with no high-level experience in soccer administration, was elected president of the continent’s regional confederation. And he is unlikely to press for discipline against the leader of Qatar’s soccer federation — reportedly present when Mohamed was offered inducements to step aside — or any other Asian leader a year before Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup. The longer the full ruling in Mohamed’s case goes unpublished, though, the more it will give the appearance soccer’s leaders are trying to brush a problematic situation under the carpet, said Johan Lindholm, a professor of law at Umea University in Sweden who has published a book on CAS. “Whether it’s because of bad PR or there are other things going on, then you would probably want to keep it as secret as possible,” Lindholm said.

A soccer official proved her discrimination case. No one was punished.

The Red Devils' have decided not to travel to Qatar amidst heightened tensions after Irani General Qassem Soleimani was killed in drone strikes executed by the United States.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fa-cup-solskjaer-needs-time-to-make-lasting-impact-at-manchester-united-guardiola-272687">FA cup: Solskjaer needs time to make lasting impact at Manchester United -&nbsp;Guardiola</a> 
 
The players are also asked not to go to the Middle East for vacationing during the days off at the start of next month before the beginning of the training camp.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/qatari-emir-in-iran-de-escalation-is-the-only-solution-273833">Qatari emir in Iran: 'De-escalation is the only solution'</a> 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../fa-cup-gunners-push-through-leeds-272669">Manchester United</a> boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “I am going to give them a few days off. I don’t know where they will all scatter around but we will stay in Europe. 
 
“If there is one thing that worries me it’s not on the football pitch, there are other things that worry me more than football. 
 
Solskjaer plans to set the training camp in Europe that has a more settled climate than what Manchester has to offer. 
 
“We were looking at the Middle East but that is not going to happen.” 
 
This is a big blow for Qatar which is the venue for the World Cup in 2022. The fear of countries backing out to play the World Cup if the tensions remain scares the Arabs. The United States have already dumped their plans to train in Qatar. 
 
Manchester United were looking forward to being in Qatar because of the weather and the highly-rated Aspire sports arena. 
 
Stadiums in Qatar which will host the World Cup are designed based on its respective cities tradition. 
 
Aspire sports Arena is the largest indoor multi-purpose dome in Qatar. 
 
Qatar has already been surrounded by a lot of controversies regarding the hosting of the World Cup.

The Red Devils' have decided not to travel to Qatar amidst heightened tensions after Irani General Qassem Soleimani was killed in drone strikes executed by the United States.

The Red Devils' have decided not to travel to Qatar amidst heightened tensions after Irani General Qassem Soleimani was killed in drone strikes executed by the United States. Also read: FA cup: Solskjaer needs time to make lasting impact at Manchester United - Guardiola The players are also asked not to go to the Middle East for vacationing during the days off at the start of next month before the beginning of the training camp. Also read: Qatari emir in Iran: 'De-escalation is the only solution' Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “I am going to give them a few days off. I don’t know where they will all scatter around but we will stay in Europe. “If there is one thing that worries me it’s not on the football pitch, there are other things that worry me more than football. Solskjaer plans to set the training camp in Europe that has a more settled climate than what Manchester has to offer. “We were looking at the Middle East but that is not going to happen.” This is a big blow for Qatar which is the venue for the World Cup in 2022. The fear of countries backing out to play the World Cup if the tensions remain scares the Arabs. The United States have already dumped their plans to train in Qatar. Manchester United were looking forward to being in Qatar because of the weather and the highly-rated Aspire sports arena. Stadiums in Qatar which will host the World Cup are designed based on its respective cities tradition. Aspire sports Arena is the largest indoor multi-purpose dome in Qatar. Qatar has already been surrounded by a lot of controversies regarding the hosting of the World Cup.

Manchester United scrap plans to set training camps in Middle East amid tensions

World Cup 2022 host Qatar has given the clearest indication yet that LGBT fans will be welcome, engaging with gay supporters as it hosts the Club World Cup -- despite criminalising homosexuality.

Organisers of the 2022 soccer spectacle travelled to Britain in recent months to meet Liverpool fan clubs including the side's gay supporters' group, individuals briefed on the meeting have said.

Paul Amann, the founder of Liverpool's LGBT supporters' club Kop Outs, then undertook a fact-finding mission to Doha along with his husband in November at the invitation of the World Cup organisers.

"I'm very satisfied that their approach is to provide an 'everyone is welcome' ethos that does include respect, albeit through privacy," he told AFP. "I'm not sure if rainbow flags generally will ever be accepted 'in-country', but maybe in stadia."

Amman said he felt "paranoia is not needed as people will not pry into your personal business".

"There was clearly some apprehension, indeed my husband said on the eve of flying that he wished he had not agreed to go," the 50-year-old council worker wrote in a report for Kop Outs that he shared with AFP.

'Being gay is haram'

The Kop Outs boast 150 full members and thousands of followers on social media. It is unclear how many LGBT fans from Liverpool and the other six teams participating in the Club Cup will make the journey to the Gulf for the tournament.

Club chief executive Peter Moore said in November that Liverpool had "received a number of assurances" on the issue from Qatari authorities.

There are no openly gay or bisexual players in the English men's Premier League, but major clubs have implemented zero-tolerance policies for homophobia and embraced the "rainbow laces" campaign against discrimination.

Openly LGBT players are well represented in the English women's game however, with former Lionesses captain, the defender Casey Stoney, the best known.

The chief executive of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Nasser al-Khater said in September that "any fan, of any gender, (sexual) orientation, religion, race (should) rest assured that Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world — and they'll all be welcome here".

However he stressed that "public displays of affection are frowned upon, it's not part of our culture -- but that goes across the board to everybody".

Amann said that "if people basically observe the no PDA advice, then I can't see them being necessarily identifiable".

Though there are no openly gay venues in Doha, a handful of bars are known to be more gay-friendly and attract a loyal clientele of airline staff, hospitality workers and other expatriates.

Web users do not face restrictions accessing gay dating apps like Grindr in Qatar, unlike other Gulf countries, although users rarely display identifiable pictures.

"We are living in a society where gay people are not recognised yet. Being gay is haram to their religion," said a gay barman from the Philippines living in the conservative Muslim country who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"I think Qatar is not ready for it yet."

He shared a commonly held fear that police monitor gay apps and periodically deport homosexuals -- although there is limited evidence for this.

During a recent visit by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, three independent experts did, however, warn that at least one transgender person had been detained "until they changed their behaviour".

The experts, who are independent of the UN, also reported the detention of individuals because of crimes linked to their sexuality.

"No one should be detained because of who they love," said group member Elina Steinerte, a Latvian human rights expert.

'Police yourself'

A gay choreographer visiting Qatar from South Africa described the country as "challenging".

"The hardest thing is not being able to show any public displays of affection," said the man who also declined to be named.

"You don't quite realise how difficult it is to police yourself until you have to."

During the last World Cup in Russia, international anti-discrimination network FARE opened a match-screening area for gay and ethnic minority football fans in Moscow.

The LGBT-friendly venue opened despite queer activism being severely restricted in Russia under a 2013 "gay propaganda" law forbidding the promotion of "non-traditional sexual relationships" to minors.

Neither FIFA nor the Qatari Supreme Committee organisers have so far publicised any special measures for gay fans ahead of the World Cup.

Pavel Klymenko of FARE said, "we do have in mind something similar (for 2022) but need to see what is possible".

"Qataris are good at engaging with people, assuring them all is fine — like with the Liverpool LGBT group. But in reality, the level of tolerance for these issues might be way lower than in Russia." 
&nbsp;

World Cup 2022 host Qatar has given the clearest indication yet that LGBT fans will be welcome, engaging with gay supporters as it hosts the Club World Cup -- despite criminalising homosexuality.

World Cup 2022 host Qatar has given the clearest indication yet that LGBT fans will be welcome, engaging with gay supporters as it hosts the Club World Cup -- despite criminalising homosexuality. Organisers of the 2022 soccer spectacle travelled to Britain in recent months to meet Liverpool fan clubs including the side's gay supporters' group, individuals briefed on the meeting have said. Paul Amann, the founder of Liverpool's LGBT supporters' club Kop Outs, then undertook a fact-finding mission to Doha along with his husband in November at the invitation of the World Cup organisers. "I'm very satisfied that their approach is to provide an 'everyone is welcome' ethos that does include respect, albeit through privacy," he told AFP. "I'm not sure if rainbow flags generally will ever be accepted 'in-country', but maybe in stadia." Amman said he felt "paranoia is not needed as people will not pry into your personal business". "There was clearly some apprehension, indeed my husband said on the eve of flying that he wished he had not agreed to go," the 50-year-old council worker wrote in a report for Kop Outs that he shared with AFP. 'Being gay is haram' The Kop Outs boast 150 full members and thousands of followers on social media. It is unclear how many LGBT fans from Liverpool and the other six teams participating in the Club Cup will make the journey to the Gulf for the tournament. Club chief executive Peter Moore said in November that Liverpool had "received a number of assurances" on the issue from Qatari authorities. There are no openly gay or bisexual players in the English men's Premier League, but major clubs have implemented zero-tolerance policies for homophobia and embraced the "rainbow laces" campaign against discrimination. Openly LGBT players are well represented in the English women's game however, with former Lionesses captain, the defender Casey Stoney, the best known. The chief executive of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Nasser al-Khater said in September that "any fan, of any gender, (sexual) orientation, religion, race (should) rest assured that Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world — and they'll all be welcome here". However he stressed that "public displays of affection are frowned upon, it's not part of our culture -- but that goes across the board to everybody". Amann said that "if people basically observe the no PDA advice, then I can't see them being necessarily identifiable". Though there are no openly gay venues in Doha, a handful of bars are known to be more gay-friendly and attract a loyal clientele of airline staff, hospitality workers and other expatriates. Web users do not face restrictions accessing gay dating apps like Grindr in Qatar, unlike other Gulf countries, although users rarely display identifiable pictures. "We are living in a society where gay people are not recognised yet. Being gay is haram to their religion," said a gay barman from the Philippines living in the conservative Muslim country who spoke on condition of anonymity. "I think Qatar is not ready for it yet." He shared a commonly held fear that police monitor gay apps and periodically deport homosexuals -- although there is limited evidence for this. During a recent visit by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, three independent experts did, however, warn that at least one transgender person had been detained "until they changed their behaviour". The experts, who are independent of the UN, also reported the detention of individuals because of crimes linked to their sexuality. "No one should be detained because of who they love," said group member Elina Steinerte, a Latvian human rights expert. 'Police yourself' A gay choreographer visiting Qatar from South Africa described the country as "challenging". "The hardest thing is not being able to show any public displays of affection," said the man who also declined to be named. "You don't quite realise how difficult it is to police yourself until you have to." During the last World Cup in Russia, international anti-discrimination network FARE opened a match-screening area for gay and ethnic minority football fans in Moscow. The LGBT-friendly venue opened despite queer activism being severely restricted in Russia under a 2013 "gay propaganda" law forbidding the promotion of "non-traditional sexual relationships" to minors. Neither FIFA nor the Qatari Supreme Committee organisers have so far publicised any special measures for gay fans ahead of the World Cup. Pavel Klymenko of FARE said, "we do have in mind something similar (for 2022) but need to see what is possible". "Qataris are good at engaging with people, assuring them all is fine — like with the Liverpool LGBT group. But in reality, the level of tolerance for these issues might be way lower than in Russia."

World Cup 2022: Qatar opens its doors to gay football fans

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/uefa-tells-teams-not-to-play-where-women-cant-watch-251956">UEFA</a> is to introduce a new-look playoff system for its 2022 World Cup qualifying competition which will avoid the need to compare results of teams in different groups.

UEFA said the 55 teams, who will be battling for 13 places at the tournament in Qatar, will be divided into 10 groups.

The 10 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup while the runners-up will go into the playoffs along with two more teams from the 2020-21 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/us-forward-altidore-ruled-out-of-nations-league-matches-254642">Nations League</a>.

Those 12 teams will then be divided into three paths, with a one-leg semi-final and a one-leg final in each path to decide the remaining three European finalists.

In the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, there were nine groups where the winners qualified directly and the eight best runners-up went into four two-leg playoffs.

UEFA is to introduce a new-look playoff system for its 2022 World Cup qualifying competition which will avoid the need to compare results of teams in different groups.

UEFA is to introduce a new-look playoff system for its 2022 World Cup qualifying competition which will avoid the need to compare results of teams in different groups. UEFA said the 55 teams, who will be battling for 13 places at the tournament in Qatar, will be divided into 10 groups. The 10 group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup while the runners-up will go into the playoffs along with two more teams from the 2020-21 Nations League. Those 12 teams will then be divided into three paths, with a one-leg semi-final and a one-leg final in each path to decide the remaining three European finalists. In the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup, there were nine groups where the winners qualified directly and the eight best runners-up went into four two-leg playoffs.

Football: UEFA announces new playoff system for 2022 World Cup qualifiers

Argentina's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/messi-goal-gives-argentina-1-0-win-over-brazil-262481">Lionel Messi</a> scored an added-time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw with Uruguay as they twice came from behind in an entertaining friendly match in Israel on Monday.

Argentina, now unbeaten in six games since a disappointing Copa America, had the better of the early play but fell behind in the 34th minute when Edinson Cavani stabbed home from close range after a nice build-up by Luis Suarez and Lucas Torreira.

The crowd in Tel Aviv cheered Messi throughout and it was the forward who helped Argentina draw level in the 63rd.

Messi’s free kick from the left was nodded home by Sergio Aguero to put a more realistic sheen on the scoreline for the Argentines, who had been the more positive side throughout.

However, Suarez gave Uruguay the lead again in the 69th when he scored with a powerful 20-metre free kick that flew past goalkeeper Esteban Andrada into the top corner.

But the last word went to Messi who, three days after he missed from 12 yards against Brazil, made no mistake by coolly side-footing home from the spot to secure a deserved draw.

The fixture was the last international for both teams before they begin their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in March.

Argentina's Lionel Messi scored an added-time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw with Uruguay as they twice came from behind in an entertaining friendly match in Israel on Monday.

Argentina's Lionel Messi scored an added-time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw with Uruguay as they twice came from behind in an entertaining friendly match in Israel on Monday. Argentina, now unbeaten in six games since a disappointing Copa America, had the better of the early play but fell behind in the 34th minute when Edinson Cavani stabbed home from close range after a nice build-up by Luis Suarez and Lucas Torreira. The crowd in Tel Aviv cheered Messi throughout and it was the forward who helped Argentina draw level in the 63rd. Messi’s free kick from the left was nodded home by Sergio Aguero to put a more realistic sheen on the scoreline for the Argentines, who had been the more positive side throughout. However, Suarez gave Uruguay the lead again in the 69th when he scored with a powerful 20-metre free kick that flew past goalkeeper Esteban Andrada into the top corner. But the last word went to Messi who, three days after he missed from 12 yards against Brazil, made no mistake by coolly side-footing home from the spot to secure a deserved draw. The fixture was the last international for both teams before they begin their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in March.

Messi's late penalty gives Argentina 2-2 draw with Uruguay

The chances of FIFA increasing the number of teams at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from 32 to 48 is 50/50, the president of soccer's governing body Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.

Infantino, who is in Brazil for a meeting of the South American Football Confederation, told delegates he was working to ensure the increase for the Qatar tournament, which would mean a guaranteed two extra places for South American sides.

"We are working to see if we can get 48 teams in the 2022 World Cup because more participation means more development and more passion for everyone," he said.

"We’ll see by June whether it is possible or not. (It’s) 50/50. What is 100 percent is that the 2022 World Cup is going to be spectacular and a total success."

A final decision on the number of teams for the next finals will be taken at the FIFA Congress in Paris on June 5.

FIFA chose to host the 2022 World Cup for 32 teams in Qatar, although Infantino has sounded out neighbours over their willingness to host some matches in an expanded tournament.

FIFA has already agreed to increase the number of teams to 48 for the 2026 tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico but is keen to expand quicker than planned.

The chances of FIFA increasing the number of teams at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from 32 to 48 is 50/50, the president of soccer's governing body Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.

The chances of FIFA increasing the number of teams at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from 32 to 48 is 50/50, the president of soccer's governing body Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday. Infantino, who is in Brazil for a meeting of the South American Football Confederation, told delegates he was working to ensure the increase for the Qatar tournament, which would mean a guaranteed two extra places for South American sides. "We are working to see if we can get 48 teams in the 2022 World Cup because more participation means more development and more passion for everyone," he said. "We’ll see by June whether it is possible or not. (It’s) 50/50. What is 100 percent is that the 2022 World Cup is going to be spectacular and a total success." A final decision on the number of teams for the next finals will be taken at the FIFA Congress in Paris on June 5. FIFA chose to host the 2022 World Cup for 32 teams in Qatar, although Infantino has sounded out neighbours over their willingness to host some matches in an expanded tournament. FIFA has already agreed to increase the number of teams to 48 for the 2026 tournament being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico but is keen to expand quicker than planned.

World Cup increase to 48 teams at 2022 finals is 50/50 - FIFA

FIFA's drive to expand World Cup 2022 and stage it beyond Qatar risks including host countries that do not meet the soccer governing body's own standards on rights and labour, campaign groups said on Tuesday.

FIFA will discuss expanding the tournament to 48 teams from 32 at a council meeting this week - a format it says will likely require it to stage matches in neighbouring Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait or Oman.

"There are clear human rights risks associated with adding new hosts for the 2022 World Cup," said Stephen Cockburn, Deputy Director of Global Issues at&nbsp;Amnesty&nbsp;International.

"Not least the potential widespread exploitation of migrant workers providing construction and other services for the World Cup that could cast a major shadow over the world's biggest sporting event," he said.

Qatar has come under fire from rights groups in recent years that say its sponsorship system for workers restricts their ability to leave the country, change jobs, and collect owed wages, leaving them vulnerable to abuse.

Doha says it is committed to reform and has enacted measures such as introducing a minimum wage, ending a requirement for permits to exit the country for most workers, and setting up dispute panels to hear workers' grievances.

There was no immediate reaction from other Gulf Arab countries on Tuesday.

While some such as the United Arab Emirates have introduced labour reforms, such as guaranteed time off for domestic workers, rights groups say their sponsorship systems still often leave workers vulnerable by restricting freedom of movement.

In a letter to FIFA head Gianni Infantino, groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Trade Union Congress said FIFA must ensure any additional hosts meet rights standards introduced by the soccer body in 2017 and make similar reform pledges.

A FIFA spokesperson said its commitment to human rights are "unequivocal" and written into the hosting requirements of all future tournaments.

The FIFA spokesperson said the feasibility study being presented on Friday confirmed that these standards would apply to any co-hosting country.

The prospects for expansion have been complicated by a Gulf dispute under which Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain imposed a political and economic boycott of Qatar in mid-2017 over allegations it supports terrorism, which Doha denies.

FIFA has courted Kuwait and Oman, which have remained neutral in the dispute, as alternative sites according to a New York Times report.

FIFA's drive to expand World Cup 2022 and stage it beyond Qatar risks including host countries that do not meet the soccer governing body's own standards on rights and labour, campaign groups said on Tuesday.

FIFA's drive to expand World Cup 2022 and stage it beyond Qatar risks including host countries that do not meet the soccer governing body's own standards on rights and labour, campaign groups said on Tuesday. FIFA will discuss expanding the tournament to 48 teams from 32 at a council meeting this week - a format it says will likely require it to stage matches in neighbouring Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait or Oman. "There are clear human rights risks associated with adding new hosts for the 2022 World Cup," said Stephen Cockburn, Deputy Director of Global Issues at Amnesty International. "Not least the potential widespread exploitation of migrant workers providing construction and other services for the World Cup that could cast a major shadow over the world's biggest sporting event," he said. Qatar has come under fire from rights groups in recent years that say its sponsorship system for workers restricts their ability to leave the country, change jobs, and collect owed wages, leaving them vulnerable to abuse. Doha says it is committed to reform and has enacted measures such as introducing a minimum wage, ending a requirement for permits to exit the country for most workers, and setting up dispute panels to hear workers' grievances. There was no immediate reaction from other Gulf Arab countries on Tuesday. While some such as the United Arab Emirates have introduced labour reforms, such as guaranteed time off for domestic workers, rights groups say their sponsorship systems still often leave workers vulnerable by restricting freedom of movement. In a letter to FIFA head Gianni Infantino, groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Trade Union Congress said FIFA must ensure any additional hosts meet rights standards introduced by the soccer body in 2017 and make similar reform pledges. A FIFA spokesperson said its commitment to human rights are "unequivocal" and written into the hosting requirements of all future tournaments. The FIFA spokesperson said the feasibility study being presented on Friday confirmed that these standards would apply to any co-hosting country. The prospects for expansion have been complicated by a Gulf dispute under which Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain imposed a political and economic boycott of Qatar in mid-2017 over allegations it supports terrorism, which Doha denies. FIFA has courted Kuwait and Oman, which have remained neutral in the dispute, as alternative sites according to a New York Times report.

As FIFA eyes World Cup expansion, rights groups say workers at risk

An Indian man working on a Qatar World Cup stadium where rights groups say labour abuses have occurred, died of a heart attack this month in an incident the tournament&#39;s organisers said on Thursday was not due to his working conditions.

Carpenter Jagdesh Kumar, 54, fell unconscious on May 4 about half an hour after leaving Doha&#39;s Khalifa International Stadium, according to a relative. The stadium is part of a sporting complex that Qatar will unveil on Friday as its first fully refurbished 2022 World Cup venue.

Kumar died in hospital of a cardiac arrest. Three other Indians employed on World Cup sites have died of heart attacks in the last 18 months, according to a 2016 report by Qatar&#39;s World Cup organizing body, the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery.

The Supreme Committee said in an emailed statement that findings showed Kumar&#39;s death was due to natural causes.

Conditions for workers from India, Nepal and Bangladesh powering a $200 billion infrastructure upgrade for the World Cup have come under scrutiny from rights groups, who say the migrants live in squalor and work without proper access to water and shelter from the sun.

The Gulf Arab Kingdom says it is implementing labour reforms and last year hired a British consulting firm to assess working conditions on stadiums in an effort to improve transparency.

&quot;We are deeply saddened that one of our workers recently passed away while off-duty. Our sympathies are with his family at this time,&quot; said the Supreme Committee statement.

It said Qatar&#39;s recent partnering with a university to improve workers&rsquo; nutrition showed a commitment to the well-being of World Cup workers.

Qatar&#39;s government has denied claims there are higher instances of heart attacks among construction workers and does not publish independently verified statistics on worker-related injuries and fatalities.

Autopsies and post-mortems on people who die sudden and unexpected deaths are forbidden by Qatari law unless a crime is suspected.

&quot;Workers dying suddenly from heart attacks is something we hear about often, the causes are not always clear. But we&#39;re moving now into the hottest time of the year when the risk of fatality increases,&quot; Gulf labour researcher Mustafa Qadri said on Thursday.

&quot;When a worker dies, Qatar needs to get to the bottom of what happened. People&#39;s lives are in danger.&quot;

Dozens of construction workers from Nepal and India working on Khalifa Stadium were housed in squalid accommodation and barred from leaving the country by employers, Amnesty International said in a report in 2016.

(Reuters)

Carpenter Jagdesh Kumar, 54, fell unconscious on May 4 about half an hour after leaving Doha's Khalifa International Stadium, according to a relative

An Indian man working on a Qatar World Cup stadium where rights groups say labour abuses have occurred, died of a heart attack this month in an incident the tournament's organisers said on Thursday was not due to his working conditions. Carpenter Jagdesh Kumar, 54, fell unconscious on May 4 about half an hour after leaving Doha's Khalifa International Stadium, according to a relative. The stadium is part of a sporting complex that Qatar will unveil on Friday as its first fully refurbished 2022 World Cup venue. Kumar died in hospital of a cardiac arrest. Three other Indians employed on World Cup sites have died of heart attacks in the last 18 months, according to a 2016 report by Qatar's World Cup organizing body, the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery. The Supreme Committee said in an emailed statement that findings showed Kumar's death was due to natural causes. Conditions for workers from India, Nepal and Bangladesh powering a $200 billion infrastructure upgrade for the World Cup have come under scrutiny from rights groups, who say the migrants live in squalor and work without proper access to water and shelter from the sun. The Gulf Arab Kingdom says it is implementing labour reforms and last year hired a British consulting firm to assess working conditions on stadiums in an effort to improve transparency. "We are deeply saddened that one of our workers recently passed away while off-duty. Our sympathies are with his family at this time," said the Supreme Committee statement. It said Qatar's recent partnering with a university to improve workers’ nutrition showed a commitment to the well-being of World Cup workers. Qatar's government has denied claims there are higher instances of heart attacks among construction workers and does not publish independently verified statistics on worker-related injuries and fatalities. Autopsies and post-mortems on people who die sudden and unexpected deaths are forbidden by Qatari law unless a crime is suspected. "Workers dying suddenly from heart attacks is something we hear about often, the causes are not always clear. But we're moving now into the hottest time of the year when the risk of fatality increases," Gulf labour researcher Mustafa Qadri said on Thursday. "When a worker dies, Qatar needs to get to the bottom of what happened. People's lives are in danger." Dozens of construction workers from Nepal and India working on Khalifa Stadium were housed in squalid accommodation and barred from leaving the country by employers, Amnesty International said in a report in 2016. (Reuters)

Indian migrant worker dies after leaving Qatar World Cup venue

Alcohol will be banned from streets and public places and if Qatari officials get their way even stadiums during the 2022 World Cup, the head of the country&#39;s tournament organising committee said on Tuesday.

The comments by Hassan Al-Thawadi will further alarm football traditionalists already unhappy that the tournament will be moved to the winter because of fierce summer temperatures in Qatar.

A ban on alcohol inside stadium, there has long been speculation about what the conservative Muslim country would do on the tricky issue of alcohol for the World Cup, could bring organisers into conflict with FIFA and powerful sponsors.

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&quot;There will be no alcohol consumption on the streets, squares and public places and that is final,&quot; Al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said in an interview printed on the website of Arabic language newspaper Al-Sharq.

&quot;We are against the provision of alcohol in stadiums and their surroundings.&quot;

There will not be a total alcohol ban, but drinking will be permitted only in &quot;far-away places&quot;, said Al-Thawadi, without going into details.

Drinking of alcohol is not illegal in Qatar and alcohol is available in hotels, while expats who live in the Gulf emirate can buy drink after applying for a licence.

Public drinking, however, is prohibited and bringing alcohol into the country is also forbidden.

The official said Qatar would resist attempts to change the country&#39;s laws for the tournament, as has happened with previous World Cup hosts.

&quot;I did not get into a discussion with FIFA on this matter and there has been great pressure from FIFA on Russia (2018 hosts) to change its laws,&quot; he said.

&quot;But our position is clear, we will legalise according to Qatari law and commensurate with the customs and traditions.&quot;

This could potentially lead to problems with football&rsquo;s governing body FIFA and major sponsors, including beer giant Budweiser.

In the run-up to the tournament in Brazil in 2014, it was widely reported that FIFA demanded alcohol be served at stadiums, which was against Brazilian law at the time.

The South American hosts finally relented.

As well as the impact on cultural traditions there has been growing concern in Qatar about the link between alcohol and the behaviour of fans, especially following clashes at the Euros in France earlier this year, most notably between English and Russian fans.

Organisers have already stated they feared alcohol helped contribute to some of the violence seen in France.

Al-Thawadi said earlier this year that drunken fans during the 2022 World Cup would be treated &quot;gently&quot;.

It has been estimated by organisers that up to one million fans could descend on Qatar for the 2022 tournament.

Many of these could stay in hotels, specially designed campsites and cruise ships.

(AFP)

The ban could extend to inside stadiums too, the head of the country's tournament organising committee said on Tuesday

Alcohol will be banned from streets and public places and if Qatari officials get their way even stadiums during the 2022 World Cup, the head of the country's tournament organising committee said on Tuesday. The comments by Hassan Al-Thawadi will further alarm football traditionalists already unhappy that the tournament will be moved to the winter because of fierce summer temperatures in Qatar. A ban on alcohol inside stadium, there has long been speculation about what the conservative Muslim country would do on the tricky issue of alcohol for the World Cup, could bring organisers into conflict with FIFA and powerful sponsors. In the run-up to the tournament in Brazil in 2014, it was widely reported that FIFA demanded alcohol be served at stadiums, which was against Brazilian law at the time × "There will be no alcohol consumption on the streets, squares and public places and that is final," Al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said in an interview printed on the website of Arabic language newspaper Al-Sharq. "We are against the provision of alcohol in stadiums and their surroundings." There will not be a total alcohol ban, but drinking will be permitted only in "far-away places", said Al-Thawadi, without going into details. Drinking of alcohol is not illegal in Qatar and alcohol is available in hotels, while expats who live in the Gulf emirate can buy drink after applying for a licence. Public drinking, however, is prohibited and bringing alcohol into the country is also forbidden. The official said Qatar would resist attempts to change the country's laws for the tournament, as has happened with previous World Cup hosts. "I did not get into a discussion with FIFA on this matter and there has been great pressure from FIFA on Russia (2018 hosts) to change its laws," he said. "But our position is clear, we will legalise according to Qatari law and commensurate with the customs and traditions." This could potentially lead to problems with football’s governing body FIFA and major sponsors, including beer giant Budweiser. In the run-up to the tournament in Brazil in 2014, it was widely reported that FIFA demanded alcohol be served at stadiums, which was against Brazilian law at the time. The South American hosts finally relented. As well as the impact on cultural traditions there has been growing concern in Qatar about the link between alcohol and the behaviour of fans, especially following clashes at the Euros in France earlier this year, most notably between English and Russian fans. Organisers have already stated they feared alcohol helped contribute to some of the violence seen in France. Al-Thawadi said earlier this year that drunken fans during the 2022 World Cup would be treated "gently". It has been estimated by organisers that up to one million fans could descend on Qatar for the 2022 tournament. Many of these could stay in hotels, specially designed campsites and cruise ships. (AFP)

No alcohol on streets, in public places at Football World Cup: Qatar

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