Qatar faces World Cup questions as 200-day countdown looms

(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 1, 2022, the FIFA World Cup trophy and the official 2022 World Cup ball called Al-Rihla, which means “the journey” in Arabic, are seen on stage during the draw for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center. – Migrant labourers are working through the night near the World Cup clock that will start counting down 200 days to kick-off on May 5, 2022, with hosts Qatar facing mounting questions over costs and conditions for fans. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP)

Migrant labourers are working through the night near the World Cup clock that will start counting down 200 days to kick-off on Thursday, with hosts Qatar facing mounting questions over costs and conditions for fans.

Eight shiny, air-conditioned stadiums are ready for the tournament’s start on November 21, but every night the army of South Asian workers who underpin Qatar’s energy-rich economy swarm over unfinished roads and building sites around Doha.

Dozens of gigantic cranes tower over the capital’s skyscrapers while organisers juggle with the dilemma of welcoming an estimated 1.4 million fans wanting entertainment and alcohol in the tiny, conservative Islamic state.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has promised the “best ever” World Cup and a FIFA spokesperson told AFP that the global body had been “impressed” by Qatar’s infrastructure programme.

But many fans worry about the cost of travel and accommodation for the Qatar World Cup, the first in an Arab country.

Qatar has faced frequent questions about human rights, including for the tens thousands of migrant workers who built infrastructure around the World Cup. Qatar says it has cracked down on abusive practises and introduced reforms, including a