By Andrew Warshaw
November 28 – Brazil’s World Cup preparations, dogged by the probability that many of its 12 stadia will not be completed before FIFA’s end-of-year deadline, have been further rocked by the deaths of two workers at the Sao Paulo venue due to host the symbolic opening game next year.
By Paul Nicholson and Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – Trapped French-Algerian footballer Zahir Belounis’ was finally granted his exit visa today and will leave Qatar on Thursday, bringing to an end a tortuous saga that made worldwide headlines and heaped embarrassment on the Qatari authorities.
November 27 – On the field, Brazil’s famous yellow jersey is one of the most iconic pieces of apparel in world football. Off it, the recent unveiling of the kit Brazil will wear when it hosts the World Cup next summer has sparked the latest battle in the war for shirt supremacy between fierce rivals Nike and Adidas.
By Paul Nicholson
November 26 – International players union FIFPro is sending a delegation to Qatar on a four-day visit (November 28-31) to hold urgent talks with the country’s football authorities and organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup regarding the rights of players and in particular the plight of French footballer Zahar Belounis who has been trapped in the country by the kafala work visa system.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 26 – Ronald De Boer, the Dutch legend who finished his illustrious career in Qatar, has re-iterated his view that a summer World Cup in 2022 is still possible – but only if it is staged in May.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – Zahir Belounis, the journeyman footballer trapped in Qatar claiming 18 months of unpaid wages, may be on the verge of winning his battle to get out of the country. The plight of the French-Algerian, who says he is a ‘destroyed’ man after being forced to sell all his possessions, has caused outrage among human rights organisations and has added to global concern over Qatar’s notorious kafala employment system that ties migrant workers to so-called ‘sponsors’.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – The European Parliament is the latest body to denounce Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers with a powerful demand to the authorities to radically improve human rights and put an to end to “forced and slave labour”.
November 21 – Uruguay became the 32nd and final country to reach next year’s World Cup finals on Wednesday at the predictable expense of Jordan. But the underdogs returned home with their heads held high.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – Just days after Amnesty International’s explosive report into what it described as the endemic mistreatment of migrant workers in Qatar, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has wracked up the pressure on the Qatari authorities to ensure the safety of those working on 2022 World Cup projects.
By Olly Howick
November 21 – The World Cup play-off billed as ‘Ronaldo v Ibrahimović’ didn’t disappoint with all six goals coming from the two players. Ronaldo came out the clear winner with four of the goals and a trip to Brazil for the finals. He was also a big winner in the social media battle off the pitch.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 20 – FIFA’s leading medical expert has warned that anti-doping measures at next year’s World Cup could be seriously compromised as a result of having to transport samples halfway round the world for testing.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 20 – European representation at next year’s World Cup is now complete after France incredibly came back from the brink to become the first country ever to overcome a two-goal first-leg playoff deficit.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent, in Doha
November 19 – Almost three years after steering Qatar towards arguably the greatest upset in World Cup bidding history, Hassan Al Thawadi is still a driven man. Whilst hardly a week goes by without some new development raising questions over Qatar’s suitability to stage the 2022 tournament, the organising chief bullishly refuses to let himself get distracted, tackling the negativism head-on whilst remaining focussed on the job at hand.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 18 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers have agreed to maintain an ongoing dialogue with Amnesty International in the wake of the most explosive report to date into workers’ rights violations in the country.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 18 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers admit they are becoming “deeply frustrated” by constant negative headlines over whether the country deserves to stage the tournament but will not let all the adverse publicity sidetrack them.