One day into the World Cup, many different political issues surfaced, causing major upsets among fans and teams.
The World Cup started on Nov. 21, 2022, and had 32 participating countries. Current political issues around the world have surfaced because of the host Qatar. Some speculate Qatar's policies on cultural values have affected these political issues. Because of their different cultural values, Qatar did not express all of the limitations ahead of time.
The first controversy arose when FIFA banned the LGBTQ+ OneLove armband. The organization warned the teams from England, Wales, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland and Denmark that their captains would receive yellow cards if the arm bands were worn. Qatar bans same-sex marriages, making the topic sensitive for the World Cup.
According to the World Cup's equipment regulations team, each team captain must wear a FIFA-provided armband.
FIFA also banned alcohol at the stadium due to Qatar's religious cultural standards.
Despite the controversies, fans continue to eagerly watch each game. On Nov. 20, 2022, Ecuador beat Qatar 2-0. This left many fans disappointed, leading to empty seats in the stadium. Qatar lost both of their games and will not be continuing further into the cup as the host country.
One major upset of the World Cup includes the U.S.' loss to the Netherlands in the 16th round, ending the U.S. advancement. Saudi Arabia also had a surprise win over Argentina. Similarly, Japan had a surprising win over Germany.
Famous soccer players Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were in the news recently for their Louis Vuitton campaign playing chess on a Vuitton suitcase. The campaign has already broken records and brought more attention to the World Cup. The two famous soccer players will be facing each other as Ronaldo plays for Portugal and Messi for Argentina if both advance to the semi finals.
Neymar, Brazil’s most popular player, surfaced with an injury that may take him out for the rest of the World Cup. Brazil’s very own Richarlison, however, scored an impressive goal during their game against Serbia with a scissor kick. It was the highlight goal of the World Cup thus far into the tournament.
The World Cup finished on Dec. 18, 2022, with Argentina as the winner of the final match.
Video by: Matias Valenzuela
Story by: Kileigh Gagnon
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