A Game of Double Standards

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• 1 hr 27 mins
• Sports

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This feature documentary explores the unprecedented backlash that followed Qatar's historic win to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. From the surprise announcement in 2010, Qatar faced waves of suspicion, corruption claims, and criticism of its size, climate, logistics, and human rights record-fueling a twelve-year storm of media reports, political boycotts, and moral debates. At the heart of the controversy was the media: Western outlets produced an extraordinary volume of investigations, exposés, and campaigns that not only chronicled events but shaped global perceptions of Qatar, while similar issues elsewhere drew far lighter scrutiny. Through interviews with FIFA insiders, journalists, rights advocates, and Qatari officials, the film unpacks accusations and counter-arguments, alongside capsule stories from France, Germany, Russia, and China. Ultimately, it asks whether Qatar was fairly judged-or if the world's biggest game became a battle of headlines as much as football.