The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to start from tomorrow, November 20, 2022, in Qatar. The Middle Eastern country has been the subject of several controversies since they were named the hosts for FIFA’s marquee event. The latest accusation that has been levelled against them is of bribing eight players of Ecuador to lose the tournament’s opening Group A match.

The accusation was first made by Amjad Taha, whose Twitter bio reads, “Strategic political affairs expert| Regional Head of the British Center for Middle East Studies and Research|Author|Media|Bou Zayed |”.

Also Read| Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo photographed together by Annie Leibowitz for Louis Vuitton ad

Taha has accused Qatar of paying $7.4 million to eight players of the South American nation to make sure the hosts emerge victorious in the opening match. 

Here is a picture of Taha’s post:

Fans have already started voicing their displeasure over these rumours on social media. One Twitter user said, “One of the most corrupt countries in the world and you think people are stupid enough to believe Qatar wouldn’t bribe Ecuador? Worker deaths, paying fans to attend and bribing FIFA officials. Yeah no one believes these fake Qatar posts! Worst WC ever!”

Also Read| Al Rihla, FIFA World Cup 2022 official match ball: All you need to know

Another fan has listed the major accusations against the Middle Eastern country ahead of the World Cup:

Some have even accused Qatar of hiring “fans” to ensure there are people at every stadium during the matches. While it is true that Qatar did hire individuals to attend the matches, the host country later sent out a notice to the appointees that they would not be receiving their allowances as was promised earlier. However, they are still providing these fans air tickets, accommodation, and passes for the opening match.

Qatar and FIFA have not released any official statement regarding these allegations, but their coach, Felix Sanchez, has refuted the claims. The two countries met for the last time in 2018 when the Asian nation won a 4-3 thriller.