Concerns about corruption and human rights loom over a typically joyous sporting event.
Tag: Soccer
World Cup in Qatar Caps Big Gulf Push Into International Sports
In hosting major international sporting events, buying up soccer teams and even creating a golf league, the resource-rich Gulf States are seeking attention, prestige, economic diversification and political credibility.
5 Books to Read About Qatar Before the World Cup
Qatar is the first Arab nation to host the tournament, bringing all the country’s contradictions to the fore.
Team Melli Once United Iran at World Cup. Now It Reflects Its Divisions.
Team Melli was long seen as a unifying force in a fractious nation. As it heads to the World Cup, it has become ensnared in its country’s internal politics.
A Messy Marital Split Tarnishes a Roman Soccer Legend
Francesco Totti and Ilary Blasi once shared a storybook love. Now she’s hiding his Rolexes, and he’s holding hostage her Jimmy Choos.
Will Qatar Be Ready for the World Cup?
As sports fans prepare to flood the tiny Gulf nation, cranes and loaders are still running hard — as is criticism of Qatar’s human rights record and exploitation of workers.
Rebekah Vardy Ordered to Pay Legal Fees in ‘Wagatha Christie’ Case
Ms. Vardy will pay 90 percent of Coleen Rooney’s legal costs, an estimated $1.7 million, after losing a libel case that proved irresistible to the British press.
Tear Gas, a Stampede, and an Indonesian Family Shattered
Muhammad Yulianto and Devi Ratna Sari took their young son to his first soccer match. The young couple were among the 125 who died in the tragedy at the Indonesian stadium.
Your Tuesday Briefing: Indonesia Investigates Its Soccer Tragedy
Plus Brazil’s elections move to a runoff and Ukraine surges forward in the Donbas.
Deadly Soccer Clash in Indonesia Puts Police Tactics, and Impunity, in Spotlight
Experts say officers are almost never held accountable for their actions. And in a huge police budget, millions are spent on tear gas, batons and other devices deployed during protests.