The half-in, half-out attitude to the World Cup exposes the contradictions of international diplomacy

The staging of this year's World Cup has provoked an outbreak of virtue signalling in Western nations - in spite of sending teams to take part in the competition which begins this weekend.

Wales have qualified for the first time in 60 years, so unlike Keir Starmer from England who is staying away in protest, the country's Labour leader Mark Drakeford will be in attendance.

Have no fear though, Drakeford is not just going on a nationalistic jolly; as his spokesman explained: "Mark will use the opportunity of his official status to shine a light on critical human rights matters and work with others to promote the values of inclusivity and respect for human and workers' rights."

Mark Drakeford's is far from the only voice raised in protest.

The England team will be wearing rainbow arm bands in support of gay rights and, brushing aside FIFA advice, met and greeted migrant workers as their first engagement on arrival at their training ground.

The half-in, half-out attitude to being in Qatar exposes many of the contradictions - or even the hypocrisy - surrounding international diplomacy, to which international sport - high value and high profile - has become an inevitable adjunct.

There are many reasons why the small energy-rich gulf Arab state is coming under attack after spending an estimated $200bn to host the cup. The country is not a democracy. The former British protectorate is a near-absolute monarchy ruled over by the al Thani family.

Qatar does not dispute that around 6,500 migrant workers from South Asia died in the course of building the stadiums and other facilities for the tournament. Homosexuality is against the law. Alcohol is only permitted to foreigners under strict controls. Qatar's human rights record has come under criticism internationally for issues including freedom of speech, corporal and capital punishment and workers' rights.

Even some on FIFA, football's world governing body, which awarded the tournament to Qatar, are having their doubts.

Sepp Blatter made the announcement on the stunning night in December 2010 when the awards were handed out, mystifyingly and prematurely, to what seemed to be the two least suitable bidders: Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

Blatter, who is suspended from participating in football until 2027 because of corruption allegations, now says he favoured the US and was personally against Qatar because it is "too small". FIFA subsequently changed the system.

The 2026 World Cup has been awarded to the safer option of North America - US, Canada and Mexico - using existing stadiums.

Many regular football supporters are unhappy with Qatar because it has caused major disruption to the normal football cycle. The award was made on the basis of a lie that the international tournament could be staged as usual in the summer after the end of the club season in the UK and Europe. This was never going to be possible because of baking summer temperatures in the Middle East.

Sure enough, the games have now been moved to the relatively cooler, but still hot, winter months - resulting in a six-week shut down of England's Premier league, mid-season, from now until Boxing Day.

Hosts keen to avoid wasteful 'white elephants'

Qatar is a small country with a population of just 2.6 million. Of these only 12%, 360,000, are Qataris; the rest are migrant workers.

Seven of the eight stadiums for the World Cup have been built from scratch; the eighth, the Khalifa stadium, has been massively refurbished.

The hosts have tried to be environmentally conscious. The Lusail Stadium where the final is taking place has been built from recycled containers. Like most of the new stadiums it will be repurposed after the Asia Cup next year, which Qatar is also hosting. The top terrace will be taken over by new homes. The "Education City" stadium will be absorbed into a new university complex.

Thanks to their gas reserves the Qataris could afford to build white elephants but they are acutely sensitive to potential accusations of waste and unnecessary construction.

International bodies making awards have been forced to take this into consideration after Olympics and World Cups left deserted facilities rotting in countries, including South Africa, Greece, Brazil and Russia. London 2012 had detailed advance plans to ensure that Olympic sites would go on being used. Paris 2024 says less than 10% of its facilities will be purpose built. Los Angeles 2028 is aiming for 0% new build.

In its defence, the International Olympic Committee claims that 85% of the facilities built since the modern games began in 1896 are still in use.

They include the Olympiastadion built on the orders of Adolf Hitler. The 1936 Berlin Olympics are probably the most controversial global sporting event until the Qatar World Cup. Great Britain, the US, and France all sent teams to the Nazi Olympics. The American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals, to Hitler's fury. Owens was still subject to racial segregation at home. In 1980 President Carter ignored Owens' appeal and backed the boycott of the Moscow Games.

There are major concerns about the treatment of workers in Qatar. But migrants go there voluntarily and many are content with the remittances they are able to send back to their families.

The Qatari authorities claim that the number who have died in the country is consistent with the normal demographic expectations for a large population present over more than a decade. The World Cup has put international pressure on Qatar to defend and improve its working practices.

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West 'hypocritical' to castigate Qatar

Environmental concerns have led to some significant innovative engineering and architectural developments. The amount of desalinated water required for air conditioning is still massive but far less than original estimates. Cities in the Gulf region are mushrooming, whether Europeans and North Americans like it or not. They have the money to build at pace and at scale and the international scrutiny of an event like the World Cup can help ensure and develop best practice.

Western nations including England and Wales are entitled to criticise Qatar but hypocritical to castigate the country or to seek to "cancel" this World Cup.

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We forget that homosexuality was only decriminalised in the UK in 1967 and that capital punishment was only ended in 1965. The UK, US and France eagerly seek inward investment from Qatar. Among other properties, Qataris own the department store Harrods in London, as well as Paris St Germain (PSG) football team.

Qatar is "too small" in that some fans will have to stay in neighbouring countries, jetting in to watch games. It's estimated there will be some 500 extra shuttle flights during the contest. But this also demonstrates the extent to which this World Cup is being celebrated as a regional event across the Middle East and North Africa, a part of the world packed with millions of football fans but which has never had a World Cup.

The countries of the Arabian peninsula - including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar - are of enormous geopolitical significance because of their oil and gas resources.

For all the reservations expressed about their internal affairs, Western governments have chosen to treat them as allies, militarily and economically. These countries also have young and increasingly educated populations, which their autocratic leaders are having to bend towards.

This World Cup, like any other, should be primarily about the sport. None of us have to watch it if we don't want to.

It is also an opportunity to learn a little more about an emerging and powerful global region and, with luck, a chance for accommodation of each other.

And if local interpretation of Sharia law prevents a British fan from launching a flare from his backside in downtown Doha after a cocaine and beer binge perhaps that will be no bad thing.