The World Cup’s spectacle has been tainted by Fifa’s decision to hold it in Qatar – we can’t focus on the football and ignore the brutal implications

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.

This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.