Former Germany star Philipp Lahm has said he won’t be attending the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, citing human rights.
Qatar’s selection as host has been controversial from the start due to the country’s treatment of migrant workers, which was magnified by a report from The Guardian last year that said 6,500 migrant workers had died in the lead-up to the tournament.
There are also ongoing questions over the country’s treatment of women and the LGBT community.
In an interview with Kicker, Lahm, who is tournament director for Euro 2024 in Germany, said he would be passing on the chance to travel to Qatar later this year.
“I’m not part of the delegation and I’m not keen on flying there as a fan,” the ex-Germany international said. “I prefer to follow the tournament from home.”
“Human rights should play the biggest role in the awarding of a tournament,” Lahm added. “If a country is awarded the event that is one of the worst performers in this regard, you start to think about the criteria used to make the decision. That shouldn’t happen again in the future. Human rights, sustainability, the size of the country – none of that seems to have played a role.”
Lahm added that he expected to see the Germany squad traveling to Qatar to not keep quiet about the World Cup host.
“As a player, you can’t get around it anymore” the 38-year-old said.
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