Qatar gives fans all-expenses paid World Cup trip in exchange for good PR

Qatar is paying for a group of soccer fans to enjoy the upcoming global tournament while soliciting positive comments from them on social media. According to The Associated Press, 1,600 fans will receive an all-expenses paid trip and they are required for a five-minute, fan-themed section of the ceremony prior to the Qatar-Ecuador opening match on 20 November. They are required to perform a chant or song specific to each country, AP said.

Individuals with "obvious political affiliation" have been excluded and Qatar plans to recruit between 30 to 50 fans from each of the 32 teams to display their status as "a purist fan", AP added. At the same time, economy-class flights are being offered to fans, who will also get to stay in apartments worth "thousands of dollars" until 4 December or for the entire duration of the tournament. The selected fans also receive a daily allowance of US$68.

This is reportedly an extension of the plan by World Cup organisers to select fan leaders from each country to become social media influencers, AP said. Using the hashtag #IAMAFAN, these fan leaders are requested to "incorporate, where appropriate" content made available by organisers. They have also been asked to show support for the tournament by liking and reposting third-party posts.

These social media influencers are also expected to report any "offensive, degrading or abusive comments" online to the organising committee and take screenshots if possible. While these fan leaders are not expected to act as a mouthpiece for the country, AP said organisers reminded the fan leaders that it would be inappropriate for them to make disparaging comments about the host country or the tournament.

Qatar's path to hosting the World Cup has been met with scrutiny with the country being criticised for its treatment of migrant workers, who were relied upon for building the necessary World Cup infrastructure. These included metro lines, roads, hotels, and apartments, and according to the AP, these were often done under "oppressive heat". Meanwhile, The Independent reported earlier this week that Qatar had evicted the migrant workers, giving them only two hours to vacate their Doha apartments.

Separately, organisers announced last month that further 30,000 rooms had been made available to visitors. Meanwhile, ESPN said nearly 2.9 million tickets have been sold for the World Cup, with only 7% of the seats left. World Cup sponsors include Budweiser, Byju's, Crypto.com, Hisense, vivo, McDonald's, and Mengniu, Meanwhile, FIFA partners include Qatar Airways, Qatar Energy, Hyundai, Coca-Cola, adidas, Wanda, and Visa.

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