Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen have questioned World Cup hosts Qatar and the human rights issues surrounding the country ahead of the start of the tournament next week.
The duo will represent Portugal and Denmark respectively at the tournament, which kicks off with hosts Qatar facing Ecuador on November 20.
But controversy has surrounded the hosting of the finals in Qatar since they were awarded in 2010, with the country’s criminalization of same-sex relationships among the issues of greatest concern.
Image: The World Cup in Qatar starts on November 20
The build-up has also been dogged by concerns about the suffering of low-wage migrant workers employed to build infrastructure in the Gulf nation.
FIFA wrote to World Cup teams last week to urge them to focus on the tournament in Qatar and not lecture on morality and drag football “into every ideological or political battle that exists”.
But speaking after United’s 2-1 win at Fulham on Super Sunday, Fernandes told Sky Sports: “We’ve seen the environment over the last few weeks and months and about people who have died building stadiums. No we are happy. for that.
“We want football to be for everyone and everyone to be included and involved in the World Cup. It’s the World Cup, it’s for everyone. It doesn’t matter who. I think this kind of thing shouldn’t happen at any time.
“But for a World Cup that is more than football, it is a party for fans and players, and a pleasure to watch, it should be done in a better way.”
Eriksen, who will join his Denmark team-mates in Qatar just 17 months after collapsing on the pitch during Euro 2020 last summer, added: “I’ve worked hard for the World Cup and I can’t wait. It’s been talked about. A lot. Wherever it is, it’s football. We’ve qualified and we’re just going to play football.
“I totally agree with Bruno. There’s a lot of attention, how the World Cup went and why it’s in Qatar. It didn’t go well.
“We are footballers, politics is something above us to make this decision. We try to have our say and do what we can. We want to focus on it but the change has to come from somewhere else.”
Saha: Players are not ambassadors
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Sky News correspondent Rob Harris explains how a series of problems have arisen ahead of the upcoming World Cup
Former Man Utd and France striker Louis Saha was invited to the Super Sunday studio and said it wasn’t easy for the players to put their full weight behind the World Cup condemnation and resulting court controversy, but he added that it was unfair to wait for them. act as ambassadors for the contest.
He said: “It’s going to be a very controversial World Cup. People have different ways of protecting their true opinions because at the end of the day they are footballers so they have to be very careful.
“It’s going to be difficult because of the conditions and we’ve already heard stories and so the players feel they have to comment. Decisions have been made to people who love football.
“Nowadays, there needs to be more transparency in football. It’s difficult for players to be ambassadors, it’s unfair.”
Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp, who represented England in the Euro final, said: “It’s not going to be easy as everyone has their own opinions. We all know it shouldn’t be in Qatar but it’s too late now .
“We have to try to do the best we can, but it’s not in the right environment. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”