28. The Dark Side of Football

Qatar is hosting the World Cup this year, but there has been some bad press surrounding labor rights and the treatment of workers in preparation for the much-anticipated games. Although there is no definitive number, journalists and workers’ rights groups have estimated the number of deaths related to World Cup construction numbers in the thousands. 

A majority of the people constructing the World Cup stadium and other infrastructure projects are migrant workers. The Guardian reports that many migrant workers are from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Qatar has been building infrastructure for the World Cup for the past 10 years, but only has 37 deaths officially linked to World Cup construction. It’s likely that the number is, sadly, much higher.