Norway's players wore a jersey with an inscription calling for respect for human rights in Qatar ahead of their qualifying match on March 24, 2021 in Gibraltar.

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Javier Fergo / AP / SIPA

“Human rights, on and off the pitch”: thanks to this inscription on their t-shirts, Norwegian footballers denounced Wednesday, during the first qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup against Gibraltar, the situation of migrant workers in Qatar, which will host the competition.

Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard and the other Scandinavian players wore a white t-shirt with these few words written in black during the anthems before the start of the match at the Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar, while the debate on human rights in the country grows. emirate which will host the World Cup at the end of 2022.

"Try to contribute in a good way"

The day before, their coach Staale Solbakken had declared that it was "to put pressure on Fifa so that it is even more direct, even more firm towards the authorities in Qatar, that it imposes them requirements more stringent ”, without revealing the nature of the action the team was going to take.

Freshly promoted to captain of the national team, Martin Odegaard then explained that "very many (players) are interested in this, care about it and want to do something to try to contribute in a good way".

Several Norwegian clubs have spoken out in favor of a boycott of the World Cup after revelations from the British daily

The Guardian

claiming that more than 6,500 migrant workers had died in Qatar since the World Cup was awarded in 2010.

The Norwegian football world is expected to consider the matter at an exceptional congress on June 20.

The support of the population

According to a poll published Monday in the Verdens Gang (VG) newspaper, 55% of Norwegians believe that their country should boycott the event against 20% who are against it.

Norway, which has not participated in a major international competition since Euro-2000, is in Group G along with the Netherlands, Turkey, Montenegro, Latvia and Gibraltar.

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