USMNT World Cup Daily, Day 4

My World Cup predictions, four days to USA-Wales & a new scientific poll reveals 46% of U.S. soccer fans say migrant worker abuses in Qatar have lessened their interest in this World Cup.

For some reason there’s a giant spider at the World Cup media center (Photo by Grant Wahl)

DOHA, Qatar — I can’t tell you how many American soccer fans I have run into who say they’re conflicted about following this World Cup due to Qatar’s human rights record toward migrant workers, women and the LGBTQ community, and a new scientific poll conducted by Seton Hall University confirms it.

In a nationally representative poll conducted in the U.S. this week of 1,533 adults across the country, 46% of American soccer fans said reports of migrant worker abuse in Qatar have lessened their interest in this World Cup. (The poll has a margin of error of plus- or minus-2.5%.)

In other poll findings, 54% of all Americans polled believe the World Cup should not be taking place in Qatar. And by better than 2 to 1, respondents:

• believe that FIFA is not ethically centered

• agree with the official French position of not using large public TV screens to view this World Cup

• agree with Denmark’s announcement it would wear essentially anonymous jerseys rather than be identified with this World Cup

Also, by more than 3 to 1, respondents support Amnesty International’s call for Qatar and FIFA to create a fund for migrant workers and their families who have suffered injuries or death.

This is the elephant in the room around the Qatar World Cup, and the poll confirms that large numbers of Americans care about the topic. It also makes the decision by Fox Sports, a World Cup broadcaster, to refuse to address Qatar’s human rights record a continuing embarrassment as it pockets millions of dollars from the Qatari government (through Qatar Airways) as a sponsor.

(I’ll be clear about this: I think Fox is going to do a good job on the soccer side of the broadcasts. The talent there is terrific in the studio and on game calls. The decisions about aligning with the Qatari government and not covering human rights come from a much higher pay grade at the producer level, and it’s connected to incoming money from the people they’re covering, and that’s what is inexcusable.)

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MY WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS

I put a lot of thought into these, including some significant surprises. So let’s dive in:

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