The world cup.....AIBU to support England but hope that Ukraine win?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Just to do a full on FUCK YOU to Russia?!

I am hoping that the war will be over by then but still.......

I'll certainly cheer Ukraine against Scotland if it happens

Oh for goodness sake!

I meant that as Russia have been kicked out and are making a pathetic bid to host that they are not going to win, it would be great if Ukraine won. Thats all.

I am English and support England but in this case, I would also be overjoyed if Ukraine won.

Oh and I, like most other English people, will support any of the home nations if they make to the knockout stages because I am not an arse, unlike the ABE lot! Its not the Englands teams fault that your teams are shit! :o

YES THAT WAS A JOKE FOR THE HARD OF THINKING!

Apologies from Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 😁

It is not disgusting. You really can't believe all the crap in the media. Yes there are ofw but there are everywhere. A few disgruntled workers speaking to journalists isn't the whole picture. There are thousands of trafficked sex workers in England who live in terror and don't even exist. I could say enough is not being done for them. It's not a fight or a competition and I don't want to be attacked for defending my country but please, think before you type. Would you say that to my face? Would you call me disgusting? People.say terrible things about the UK people which are not true, you would feel hurt if someone called you a fat lazy idiot with bad teeth, I'm sure you are not. But if you ask people from the US that's what the majority would say.

@Thedogshouses I am Russian, but I sadly have to accept that staging the World Cup/Olympics in Russia was utterly disgusting and purely down to corruption. The same is true of Qatar.

When FIFA agreed to stage the World Cup in Qatar it was originally meant to be played in the summer! I have not been to Qatar, but I have been to Dubai and UAE in the summer and it's criminal to allow anyone to run in those conditions let alone at an elite level. It's also evident that a tiny country with a population of 2 million and no football stadiums is not an ideal host. I get that you love your country, but to deny that Qatar was awarded the World Cup purely as a result of FIFA's insane levels of corruption is a tad naive.

This.

The irony of fifa pretending they support pride month, yet choosing a country where being queer is illegal, carries imprisonment and the death penalty.

Please, you cannot compare illegal sex trafficking in the UK to Qatar where migrant workers have little legal rights. They are not on the same scale. Last time I checked women in the UK aren't prosecuted for having sex outside marriage, and homosexuality has been legal for quite some time.

I support England but not in this World Cup. Should not be in a country like Qatar. Makes a mockery of everything the FA and Southgate say about homosexuality, racism. According to Southgate they’ll be taking the knee in Qatar so that makes everything ok.

That would be virtue signalling. And doesn’t solve anything.

www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/23/revealed-migrant-worker-deaths-qatar-fifa-world-cup-2022

There's mixed opinions on whether the Ukraine entry in every event, singing/sporting competitions is in poor taste or brave. We can't hand them every title. Once again there's a few African teams from places at war, or don't their wars/deaths count? It was great for Wales, it could be a once in a lifetime achievement. Pity it was an own goal that did it.

To all the people criticising Qatar, do you also boycott BA, Barclays, Sainsbury’s, Harrods (yes very expensive I know)? Do you avoid flying out of Heathrow? Do you boycott all businesses based out of Canary Wharf and the Shard? I suppose you avoid all Liquified natural gas coming out of Qatar since it’s the world largest producer. Energy crisis? What energy crisis?

No? Thought not.

Because virtues are easily signalled, aren’t they?

It's impossible to go through life without using any unethical companies. That doesn't mean that we can't criticise the decision to hold a major tournament in a country with horrible human rights abuses.

Exactly my my point. Criticising on social media is so easy and makes people feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Oh well, as long as everyone feels good, eh?

If you need to quote the Guardian to criticise Qatar you have no credible opinion. There are issues with certain overseas worker bosses, qatar is making strides into applying enforcement. The bosses come from a caste system (from your empire) and don't have any education or understanding of the expectations. Increasingly they are being removed. As for the sex thing, another weak point. How many people have been imprisoned or killed for being gay? Certainly none in the 22 years I have lived here. PDAs are not encouraged but nobody gives a shite who does what. It's a great place full of good people and they radiate tolerance. MN could learn a lot from them.

The fact is homosexuality is illegal there, which is abbhorant no matter how much you try to defend it.

So we can't criticise anything or anyone unless we ourselves are perfect?

www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/qatar-world-cup-of-shame/
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/qatar-2022-dying-for-the-world-cup-r3kh38qnd
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/25/qatar-world-cup-workers-rights-inequality/

Any of these work for you?

Of course you can. Criticise away. No one, least of all the Qataris care. They are getting on with the job at hand. Unlike the progressive keyboard warriors elsewhere too pre-occupied with culture wars.

I'd imagine migrants workers and gay and bisexual Qataris care about their countries human rights record.

Most migrant workers fund food and education for family back home and have a life for them far better than if they didn't. Gay Arabs is not a new thing, seriously, nobody cares. It's not Saudi.

No, they care more about putting food on the table for their families back home.

You are actually telling me that all the gay people in Qatar are perfectly happy living in a country were homosexuality is both illegal and also potentially punishable by death? And you don't see anything wrong with these laws?

Show me an Islamic country where it isn't. Then show me an Islamic country as tolerant and peaceful. You don't know what you are talking about. And you are not prepared to listen to either expats or Qataris, both whom have contributed. Why are you so bitter?