The World Cup in Qatar has come under fire not only for the systematic violation of human rights.
It should be remembered that the previous edition was held in Russia, a country condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for "inadequate investigations" for the 2006 assassination of journalist Anna Politkovskaja.
The 2022 edition is also the subject of controversy due to the environmental issue.
Moreover, it is the first world cup that a soccer world cup is played in the Middle East.
And – given the temperatures – it's also the first time we've played in winter.
Despite this, also given that the calendar requires daytime matches (11 and 13 in Italy, respectively 1 and 15 in Qatar), the organizers had to run for cover anyway.
For this reason, air conditioning systems have been installed in all stadiums to ensure acceptable temperatures for both spectators and players.
With the paradox that, however, to refrigerate such large facilities, there are large areas of the stadium where the air is far too strong and forces spectators to wear sweatshirts and jackets.
Qatar authorities and Fifa immediately ensured that the entire event would have zero impact.
This is thanks to a series of operations, such as the construction of solar energy plants and circular economy operations.
For example, the 974 stadium (the name derives from the international telephone code of Qatar) built with containers that will be dismantled and used for other purposes at the end of the World Cup.
But many observers have spoken of "greenwashing".
After all, it is enough to think that it has been calculated that 3.6 million tons of Co2 will be produced during the world championships.
The World Cup in Russia produced 2.
Some NGOs - including Carbon Market Watch - believe that the promise of "zero emissions" is unrealistic.
First of all because the calculations are made only on the production of CO2 in the actual days of the world championship, and not also counting the entire preparation phase.
And then because there are no certainties about the future of the structures that should be converted to other purposes.
Yet the Qatari regime continues its strategy: heavy investments in sport and now also in environmental issues to try to make people forget the violations of human rights and the damage to the environment.
This is why in recent months there has been talk - as we said - of "greenwashing" and "sportwashing".
To pursue this strategy, Qatar has obtained the right to organize an international exhibition in Doha dedicated precisely to the theme of the environment: Doha 2023.
The venue will be Al Bidda park, where the "fan zone" for the World Cup stands today.
But visiting the area today you can already find some spaces that are preparing for the 2023 exhibition.
An attempt at make-up by the Qatari regime complete with a "wall of wishes".
In the park that will host Expo 2023, a wall has been set up on which tourists are invited to "write your hopes for a greener tomorrow".
With reassuring slogans: "How would you make the Earth a better place?", "Everything starts with you, you are the seed".
The wall is already full of writing.
Of tourists and fans from all over the world: a sort of Babel wall.
Rainews
World Cup in Qatar 2022
Sifting through the writings a bit, however, the regime's operation was only partially successful.
Some have accepted the invitation to speak about the environment: "Stop emissions by reducing the use of plastic";
“We recycle paper, it comes from trees”;
“I hope the felling of trees stops”, “Let's reduce consumption, reuse, recycle”;
“Let's clean up the oceans”.
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World Cup in Qatar 2022
Many others, on the other hand, limited themselves to leaving a memory of their trip to Qatar for the World Cup.
But many others preferred to remember that respect for human rights is needed to make the Earth "a better place".
And so the slogan of the struggle of the Iranian people against the Tehran regime is found in many parts: "Women, life, freedom".
Or her name is Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old killed in mid-September by the Iranian morality police because she wore her veil inappropriately.
“Stay human”, is the writing of another fan.
Rainews
World Cup in Qatar 2022
Rainews
World Cup in Qatar 2022
Rainews
World Cup in Qatar 2022
Fifa and Qatar have tried to put the image laundry to work through sport and the instrumental use of the environmental theme.
But then gestures such as those of the Iranian or German national team arrive, just wandering the streets of Doha, entering the stadiums, or simply reading a wall, to understand that this time the washing is not going according to the hopes of the organizers.
Rainews
World Cup in Qatar 2022