An estimated 4,000 workers could die in Qatar before the 2022 World Cup

A Nepalese worker takes a break on the FIFA construction site
(Image credit: AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

To any soccer fan who has been following the practices of FIFA throughout the past decade, it's no surprise that the world's governing soccer organization is terribly corrupt. It's a little more surprising, however, that FIFA is finally being held accountable — to the tune of $150 million and charges of bribery, fraud, and racketeering.

"On the surface, it's just another white collar crime story: rich, powerful men making themselves richer and more powerful," says Christopher Ingraham at The Washington Post. "But a closer look suggests that there is a lot of real-world suffering happening as a direct result of FIFA's decisions." Ingraham put together a fascinating chart that maps out the estimated human toll of building the stadiums and facilities necessary to hold the World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and the result is startling:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Samantha Rollins

Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.