To mark the start of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, we spoke to Dr Paul Brannagan, Senior Lecturer in Sport Policy and Management at Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport, about the controversies that have surrounded Qatar 2022 since it won the bid to host the tournament in 2010. 

Dr Brannagan is the co-author of the book 'Qatar and the 2022 FIFA World Cup: Politics, Controversy and Change'. In this episode of MetCast, we discuss why this World Cup is so controversial, the political motivations of Qatar, whether this was a good move for FIFA as a business, changes we have seen in the country,  and what the future might hold for Qatar.