Last updated 5. March 2025 | Sprecherinnen

Background and problems of the Men’s World Cup in Qatar:

This decision has been criticized ever since Qatar was awarded the men’s World Cup in 2010. Alleged bribe payments to members of the award committee, a country without any soccer tradition, and temperatures of around 50 degrees Celsius in summer led to a World Cup in winter with the supposedly most sustainable stadiums of all time: despite air conditioning and new construction.

Added to this is the poor human rights situation during the construction of the stadiums, as is generally the case in Qatar. Working conditions bordering on forced labor and a lack of occupational safety during the construction of the stadiums led to many deaths. To this day, FIFA refuses to acknowledge these deaths, let alone set up a compensation fund for relatives. Added to this is Qatar’s treatment of women and queer people. The statement by the Qatari World Cup ambassador, who described homosexuality as “spiritual damage”, is shocking.

The AStA of the University of Lüneburg, together with the Student Parliament, is firmly opposed to the staging of the 2022 Men’s World Cup in Qatar.

The human rights situation in Qatar before, during and certainly after the World Cup means that this World Cup cannot be treated like any other.

Therefore, the AStA offers counter-events parallel to World Cup matches, especially during the matches of the German men’s national team.

You will soon find the World Cup alternative program in our Instagram story or here on the website 🙂