The end of the Formula 1 season has marked the start of arguably the biggest sporting competition in the world, the FIFA World Cup.
Usually, the World Cup would take place during the summer in the months of June and July, but things are categorically different this time around.
The 2022 edition of the global football competition is, of course, being controversially held in Qatar, a nation in the Middle East notorious for an abysmal human rights record.
With the nation being excruciatingly hot during the summer, the World Cup this year is taking place in the winter, with the first game having taken place on Sunday and the last taking place on the 18th December.
READ: Max Verstappen’s father on his son: ‘He’s kind of done with it’
Why the World Cup is in Qatar is a very good question, considering the nation had no infrastructure in place at the time of it being announced that they’d host the competition.
Hundreds are believed to have died in the building of the new stadiums, given the shocking nature of the working conditions; however, the true number will never be released.
Alcohol has been banned from the stadiums unless you have a corporate ticket, something which was only announced the day before the competition, much to the frustration of the travelling supporters.
The biggest issue, though, is Qatar’s stance on the LGBTQ community, with homosexuality being illegal in the country.
This has perhaps been the biggest talking point ahead of the competition, with a number of Western European countries having wanted to demonstrate support for the community by wearing a ‘OneLove’ armband.
Seven European teams competing in the competition, including, England and Wales, were set to wear the armbands, in an effort to promote the community in a nation where it’s illegal.
FIFA made their feelings on the armband very well-known and disgustingly threatened that any player who wears the armband will be shown a yellow card immediately.
The governing body of world football have shown their true colours through their threatening act, one which has disappointingly worked.
All of the nations will no longer wear the armband, with Belgium having been forced to take the word ‘love’ off their kit.
FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino has come under immense criticism for his blatant disregard of the community, with him being perfectly fine with the competition being in a nation with such shocking issues.
Why FIFA banned the armband, though, is something that people would like to know, given that Lewis Hamilton wasn’t told off for wearing a rainbow-coloured helmet at the 2021 Qatar Grand Prix.
Formula 1 supported Hamilton’s message of support for the LGBTQ community, whereas FIFA are seemingly completely against it.
READ: Sergio Perez claims Max Verstappen ‘held’ him up in Abu Dhabi
Aston Martin’s chief communications officer Matt Bishop, retweeted a brilliant tweet from the seven-time World Champion from 2021, along with a powerful message to FIFA, “you should be deeply ashamed”.
“Lewis Hamilton posted the tweet below from the 2021 Qatar GP,” wrote Bishop.
“He wore a rainbow-coloured helmet there and wasn’t given the F1 equivalent of a yellow card for doing so. Indeed he was praised for it – and he won the race. FIFA and FIFA media, you should be deeply ashamed of yourselves.”