The soccer World Cup is perhaps the most talked about so far, due to the country's human rights record.
A big question mark has been the treatment of LGBTQI people.
Fifa has promised that visiting fans regardless of gender identification and sexuality will feel safe and respected, while Qatari nationals testify to abuse, mistreatment, harassment and punishment.
- They beat me every day and shaved my hair.
They also forced my shirt off and took pictures of my breasts.
I suffered from depression after my time in prison.
I still have nightmares and I'm terrified of being out in public, a trans woman tells Human Rights Watch.
The organization has spoken to a number of vulnerable LGBTQI people in the country, who say that the abuse took place as recently as September this year.
Several of them explain that they were detained without legal basis, sometimes several times, in an underground prison, only to be released if they promised to "stop their immoral behavior".
They have also been forced to provide information about other LGBTI people and illegally demanded digital material from their phones.
- I was detained for three weeks without charge and the officials sexually harassed me repeatedly.
One of the requirements for my release was that I met a psychologist who "would make me a man again", says a trans woman.
A bisexual woman says that she was beaten several times until she lost consciousness, and several say that during the time they were arrested they did not get access to legal help, care or their family.
SVT Sport was previously able to reveal that several of the official WC hotels denied homosexual accommodation.
CLIP: Gay Qatari Nas Mohammed's World Cup hope: Help from David Beckham
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He is disappointed with Fifa's handling of LGBTQ issues ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, but hopes to get help from the players - and World Cup ambassador David Beckham.
Photo: SVT/EPA
See also: World Cup in Qatar - a history fringed with criticism
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World Cup in Qatar – a history fringed with criticism Photo: Bildbyrån