October 27, (THEWILL) – Australia has made history by being the first World Cup finals team to issue a group statement from its players, criticising host nation, Qatar’s human rights record, ahead of the tournament next month.
In the video, 16 players, including former Arsenal and Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan, criticise how the nation treats migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ population.
Team captain, Ryan, spoke his part saying: “There are universal values that should define football. Values such as respect, dignity, trust and courage. When we represent our nation, we aspire to embody these values.”
Since being controversially chosen to host this winter’s finals back in 2010, the Gulf state, where same-sex relationships are illegal, has been dogged by accusations over the abuse of migrant workers and a dismal human rights record.
Also involved in the video were Jackson Irvine, Bailey Wright, Jamie Maclaren, Nick D’Agostino, Craig Goodwin, Danny Vukovic, Andrew Redmayne, Mathew Leckie, Mitchell Duke, Mitch Langerak, Denis Genreau, Cameron Devlin, Adam Taggart, Kye Rowles, and Alex Wilkinson, the president of the union Professional Footballers Australia (PFA).
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
