FIFA and Qatar launch Legacy Fund without worker compensation

According to Amnesty International, FIFA and the State of Qatar have been accused of a 'shameful failure' following the launch of a $50 million Legacy Fund that completely excludes compensation for the thousands of migrant workers who suffered abuses during the 2022 World Cup. As reported by Amnesty, the fund—which was intended to address the tournament's social impact—directs money toward international development projects and sports health initiatives rather than to the victims of wage theft, illegal recruitment fees, and workplace injuries. The publication highlights that this decision ignores the clear recommendations of an independent human rights review commissioned by FIFA itself, which acknowledged the organization's responsibility to provide financial remedy. As reported by Amnesty, the Qatari government has resisted pressure to expand its domestic compensation fund to cover workers who have already left the country, creating an 'impenetrable barrier' to justice for the most vulnerable. Critics cited in the report argue that the Legacy Fund is a blatant attempt at 'sportswashing,' designed to burnish the image of FIFA and Qatar while burying the reality of the exploitation that made the tournament possible. The report states that despite the tournament generating a record-breaking $7.5 billion in revenue, the entities involved have refused to allocate a fraction of those profits to the families of workers who died on construction sites. Amnesty International points out that by failing to provide a dedicated remediation mechanism, Qatar and FIFA are disregarding their own human rights policies and setting a dangerous precedent for future major sporting events. The article concludes that the refusal to acknowledge the human cost of the event constitutes a secondary abuse against the workers who built Qatar’s modern infrastructure under duress.