The Washington PostThe Washington Post

What gets missed in the angry debate over Qatar's World Cup

By Ishaan Tharoor

05 Dec 2022 · 5 min read

Editor's Note

Amid all the criticisms levelled at Qatar by the West for its treatment of migrant workers, it's easy to overlook the fact that there are tangible signs of progress. The Washington Post reports.

Doha, Qatar - What does it mean to wear an armband? At the World Cup, it could mean provoking a clash of civilizations.

On the field, the tournament has thrilled fans with chaotic matches, upsets and a surfeit of nontraditional soccer powers reaching the knockout stage. But off the field, the World Cup, the first to be staged in the Middle East, has been the site of a more rancorous contest between a moralizing West and increasingly indignant Qatari hosts and their Arab brethren.

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