By Andrew Warshaw
October 18 – In the face of continued western media scepticism, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and World Cup organisers are cranking up the public relations narrative, insisting to anyone who will listen that the tournament in Qatar will be remembered for all the right reasons.
October 14 – In a remarkable turn round, the FBI and FIFA have teamed up to protect this winter’s World Cup in Qatar from potential crime including match-fixing.
October 14 – Through a high-ranking administrator, global governing body FIFA has suggested it’s considering compensation for migrant workers in Qatar who suffered human rights abuses in the build-up to the World Cup.
October 13 – World Cup boss Nasser Al Khater has said that England and Wales should focus on their teams’ preparations for the World Cup rather than demanding compensation for migrant workers or making political statements.
FIFA is collaborating with eight leading artists to showcase a new ‘Spotlight: Your Dreams’ campaign ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
October 11 – FIFA has opened the financial compensation process for clubs whose players will be participating at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
October 11 – With the World Cup less than six weeks away, Qatar’s tightly-controlled media have joined forces to retaliate against European attacks on the Gulf state’s suspect human rights record.
October 11 – While French cities are banning outdoor communal viewing of the World Cup from Qatar in public places from Paris to Marseilles over concerns of rights violations of migrant workers, other cities around the world are proving less judgemental.
October 8 – Lionel Messi has confirmed that Qatar will be his fifth and final World Cup as he seeks to win the tournament for the first time to cap a stellar career.
October 5 – The French Football Federation (FFF) is spearheading a campaign for the creation of a compensation fund for migrant workers in Qatar, the host nation of the World Cup.
October 4 – Paris has become the latest French city to decide against broadcasting World Cup matches on giant screens in public amid concerns over rights violations of migrant workers in Qatar.
September 23 – German FA president Bernd Neuendorf has added his voice to growing demands that FIFA sets cash aside for a compensation fund for migrant workers in World Cup host Qatar.
September 23 – The break for international matches has focussed attention on suddenly how close the World Cup in Qatar has come.
September 21 – World Cup fans in Qatar caught committing minor offences such as public drunkenness will reportedly escape prosecution under plans being drawn up by authorities in the country.