A cringe video emerges on TikTok of what appears to be ‘fake England fans’ with Qatar accused of paying hundreds to parade for cameras.
Footage has emerged of citizens, or should we say “supporters”, from across the world filling the streets of the Qatari capital Doha – a week before the tournament gets underway.
QatarLiving – which is said to be the country’s first official community platform on TikTok – has been uploading clips of “fans” from different countries gathered in their hundreds with flags, painted faces, and banners.
While it’s not clear whether the fans are migrants workers who live in Qatar and have been partying early, or whether the parades have been staged by authorities. But it really has left many puzzled and questioning just how genuine this is.
One video shows a group of so called Brazil fans waving flags in the area of Doha Corniche – a waterfront promenade in the city – while others show off “supporters” from Portugal, Argentina, Ghana, Cameroon and Tunisia.
Another video appears to show England fans chanting and playing the drums as they march through the streets holding a banner which says: “It’s coming home.”
@qatarliving England 😍
The behaviour of the those in the video appears to be what many have described as being carefully curated and staged, how legitimate are they?
Others have thrown the accusation that Qatar are orchestrating the parades using “fake” supporters – and ask why fans have arrived in their masses more than a week before the World Cup starts.
Others social media users add they have spotted the same “fans” in separate videos showing their support for different countries.
Some also pointed out that there were no female supporters in the crowds.
@qatarliving Brazilian national team fans and supporters in Doha Corniche جماهير ومشجعي البرازيل في كورنيش الدوحة
Fake #Germany fans in #Qatar #Qatar2022 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/6pbWpuxjVO
— Sabji Hunter (@SabjiHunter) November 14, 2022
Gabby Logan has spoken out ahead of the tournament, saying “World Cup controversies take some excitement away.”
“I’ve been going to World Cups as a journalist since France 1998, and the build-up to this one is the most unusual I’ve ever experienced.
“Normally, when I am about to go to these tournaments, I am just thinking about what I am expecting to see on the pitch and getting excited about what is always a great festival of football – as I am sure most of you do too.
“That’s not the case this time. We are only days away from the first game but the background behind Qatar hosting this World Cup and the controversies surrounding the regime there take some of that excitement away, and make me feel uncomfortable about the whole occasion.
“I am going there as a broadcaster, and where the World Cup is held is not something any of us can influence. There was consternation about the last hosts, Russia in 2018, too.
“But as my colleague Gary Lineker has already said, the BBC will be in Qatar reporting, not supporting the regime there and elements of what they stand for.
“Clearly Qatar wants the world to look at it, because it asked to host this World Cup and doing so is a marker of its position on the world stage, but surely with that honour comes a responsibility – and there are fundamental human rights issues there that we know could be improved.
“We will still get excited about the football when it starts, but what we can also do during the next five weeks is shine a light on Qatar and its stance on issues like same-sex relationships, women’s rights and the treatment of migrant workers.
“When you expose those situations, as so many great journalists and human rights groups have done in the build-up to this tournament, then you hope you draw people’s attention to what is happening and what needs to change, in parts of the world they might not ordinarily think about.
“The success of World Cups is usually determined by how much entertainment they provide – things like the TV spectacle, and what the facilities for fans were like.
“This time, we should remember the treatment of the migrant workers involved in the vast construction project for this tournament – including the gleaming new stadiums that will be seen around the world – and instead judge Qatar on whether some of the issues I have mentioned do change and get better in the future.
“We certainly won’t know that while this World Cup is going on. It is likely to be a few years until we find out if basic human rights and workers’ rights improve in Qatar, and if all people there have the ability to express themselves and live freely in their own country.
“Those are the aspirations I’d have for the legacy of this World Cup, and I think most people would see them as being positive things to aim for.
“For that legacy to happen, though, we need to have collaborative conversations about these topics while the tournament is going on; while the world is watching.
“You cannot just ignore them. That’s why I found Fifa’s letter earlier this month, telling the 32 teams taking part to “now focus on the football”, an especially difficult statement to swallow.
“To those who would say – as Fifa appears to be doing – that everyone should just respect Qatar’s rules and regulations when they are there, I would respond that is not a helpful or productive way of dealing with this situation.
“Instead, the most important thing that can happen while this World Cup is taking place is that people have the right to express their opinion.
“If, for example, while he is competing in Qatar, a player wants to stand up and say that he is really against the idea that people from the LGBTQ+ community cannot freely live the life they want to in this country, then it is his right to say that.
“Equally, it is not just the job of the players to be speaking out. If some of them do just want to focus on the football, then we have to respect that too.
“There will be 832 players at this World Cup and the idea that all of them are going to address the discrepancies of human rights in Qatar is fanciful.
“But if someone does want to speak, they should be allowed to – whoever they are.”
You can read more of what she had to say via BBC Sport by clicking HERE.
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