• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 12, 2025

Qatari Official Admits 400-500 Migrants Died Working on World Cup Stadiums

  • It’s significantly higher than the 40 deaths Qatar has previously offered up.
  • But it still pales in comparison to the 6,500 reported independently.
Field level view of match during 2022 Qatar World Cup
Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Somewhere between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died building stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, according to a top Qatari official.

Hassan Al-Thawadi, the secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy in Qatar, admitted to the figure in a recent interview with Piers Morgan.

That number is significantly higher than the 40 deaths the Supreme Committee has ever previously offered up — but still pales in comparison to the 6,500 The Guardian reported last year.

Al-Thawadi finally acknowledged that Qatar’s efforts to protect these workers had been insufficient — but attempted to soften the numbers by saying that his country has made concerted efforts to improve conditions.

“One death is a death too many, plain and simple,” he said in the Morgan interview. “Every year, the health and safety standards on the [World Cup] sites are improving.

“Overall, the need for reform in itself dictates that, yes, improvements have to happen. And just so we’re clear, this was something that was recognized before we bid.”

World-Cup

World Cup Puts Qatar’s Human Rights Abuses in Spotlight

LGBT Qataris were arrested and abused as recently as last month.
October 24, 2022

Even if changes to protect workers have been made, not all of them are being realized: Seasoned soccer journalist Grant Wahl says that many of the laws protecting workers in Qatar had not been followed in the leadup to the World Cup.

Meanwhile, FIFA has faced criticism for refusing to establish a $440 million fund to assist migrant workers and their families who were affected by the poor working conditions at the World Cup stadiums.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Cobh Ramblers
exclusive

Ireland’s Ramblers Latest Soccer Club to Gain U.S. Owner

The Ramblers play in the League of Ireland First Division.
Gareth Bale
exclusive

Gareth Bale Group Makes New Offer for Cardiff City 

Bale tells Front Office Sports his group has made another bid.

Murphy: Club WC Snags Won’t Derail Biggest Event ‘in Human History’

New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium is the concluding site of both FIFA events.

Featured Today

Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
Jun 13, 2018; Moscow, Russia; A general view of a beer stand inside of Luschniki Stadium one day prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Saudi Arabia Says No Alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia won’t allow alcohol anywhere during the 2034 World Cup.
August 30, 2024

Premier League Transfer Spending Has Already Topped $2 Billion As Deadline Looms

Saudi Pro League teams haven’t yet matched their English counterparts.
January 13, 2025

Gavin Newsom Reveals Status of 2028 Olympics As Los Angeles Wildfires Roar

Gavin Newsom says there’s a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Los Angeles.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Paralympics Tiktok
August 25, 2024

The Wildly Successful Paralympics TikTok Account Isn’t What You Think

A cheeky TikTok account is opening the world of Paralympic sports.
August 11, 2024

Passing of the Torch: Los Angeles Set for Olympic Firsts in 2028

The city last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984.
August 1, 2024

Saudi Arabia Submits Bold World Cup Bid That Includes a Cliffside Arena

The Saudis are proposing a new stadium in a futuristic city called Neom.
John John Florence (USA) surfs in men’s round two competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach.
July 29, 2024

Olympic Surfers Won’t Get Their Full Paris Moment

‘We’re kind of separate off on our own little thing over here.’