كأس العالم 2022 World Cup Thread!

On the topic of homosexuality and LGBT rights in Qatar, it is absolutely correct that most of the people find their intolerance and laws, in this matter, abhorrent and I can understand why some people won’t be watching the World Cup games in protest.
Very few male professional footballers, around the world, have come out and Jake Daniels of Blackpool is the first UK professional football player to come out publicly as gay, since Justin Fashanu in 1990.
https://www.skysports.com/football/...sional-footballer-to-come-out-publicly-as-gay

Gay footballers, despite being in countries that don’t criminalise them, are reluctant to come out and potentially expose themselves to the mindless sexist taunts that would possibly be aimed towards them, from the minority who possibly don’t have an issue with Qatar’s laws.
Female professional footballers don’t seem to have this same fear, with regards to their sexuality, as I have seen a few openly talking about being lesbian, yet never heard any negativity as a result of it.

My hope for this World Cup, is that a gay footballer, appearing for one of the teams in Qatar, finds the strength and courage to come out, and that he receives worldwide support from the football community.

 

Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb.

 

And we all know that rhubarb thrives on copious amounts of well-rotted dung, aka most of my ramblings...

 

Mordor, love it. Can only hope that FIFA president at the time will be skeletor

 

I can`t be bothered with it either. It only ended up in Qatar because of corruption, and the likes of Beckham making a fortune out of it makes me sick.

 

I've got to admit that despite my feelings on Southgate and where the WC is being played, I am getting excited and looking forward to watching it. I mean, it's the World Cup and there's going to be 4 games a day to start with! I don't feel guilty watching it either because neither the BBC nor ITV chose Qatar as the location. I hate the fact it's being held in Qatar but I can't do anything about it so I'm just going to focus on the football.

 

I'll watch the England games, perhaps the Netherlands and one or two other if I can be arsed also keep an eye on the criticism of the regime by competing countries. Of course the WC shouldn't have gone to Qatar, I found this article by Philipp Lahm interesting.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2022/nov/15/world-cup-qatar-damaged-football-philipp-lahm

 

I'm just tuning in for the comical decisions that will be going the way of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

 

I'll watch it, but I'm far, far, far more interested in the work going on during the second pre-season at St Mary's.

 

Just because you've mentioned the break, does anyone know if there is (another) 'winter' break, to allow those exhausted superstars some time to regain full fitness? In other words, will the league restart on 26th December, only to be paused for a week/fortnight, during January/February? I hope not...

 

Nope. No way can they fit in a break in Jan.

 

FA cup weekends are effectively breaks for the big teams.

 

I'm buzzing for it. Think we'll be ****e but I'm looking forward to it as a whole. Last one with 32 teams iirc so the next couple will probs be ****.

Quite enjoying the winter vibe of it too. Fills the gap until Christmas up quite nicely.

 

I'll watch it. My country hasn't been to one of these since I was 9 months old. I'm still disgusted that crimes against humanity were committed to make it happen, but I'm content that I will not be giving so much as a thin dime to support those that have made it happen.

 

Just not feeling it at all at the moment.

 

I mean, if England are ever going to win a World Cup, it's going to be the one that everyone disliked from the outset, right? That would just make it truly the worst ever tournament in the eyes of the rest of the world.

 

Canada will absolutely be my second* team in this.





*first, probably

 

I'm gonna support Qatar as my second team.