The 2022 FIFA World Cup is finally underway. The most popular sporting event in the world kicked-off on November 20 and will run through December 18, when the grand final will be played at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, in Qatar. The first edition of the tournament to be hosted by an Arab nation, this year's World Cup is also surrounded by controversies, with corruption schemes that led to the selection of Qatar as the hosts, as well as the poor work conditions and lack of human rights in the country.
Nevertheless, a World Cup is always a huge event for football fans all over the world, and this one couldn't be different. As we draw close to the decisive stages of the tournament, we've seen great matches, magnificent stadiums, beautiful and cheerful manifestations from fans and supporters, all contributing to a great atmosphere in the Middle East.
As far as the competition goes, there are already a few national teams that have stood out, namely Brazil, France and Spain, and are the odds-on favourites to win the 2022 World Cup. But an event of this magnitude is not just about favourites and winners.
In order to participate in the World Cup mood, Netflix has been releasing a number of original World Cup-themed projects over the past several weeks. The documentaries offer a different perspective on the World Cup by bringing to light details that typically go unnoticed amidst all the excitement that the tournament produces - topics covered in the documentaries range from the backstage of the tournament qualifiers to the corruption schemes involving FIFA's upper ranks.
Therefore, if you want to enjoy some extra content about the biggest sport tournament in the world, apart from the matches and TV debates, you must check these two docuseries that Netflix released in the past weeks.
FIFA Uncovered - the shady business behind the tournament
FIFA Uncovered, which was released on November 9, analyses some of the most outrageous incidents that have occurred within football's governing organisation in the last 10 years, such as the fraudulent host selection process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, as well as the nefarious businesses conducted by its board of directors.When the 2022 World Cup kicked off, only a few days had passed since the film's debut, in which the controversies behind Qatar's successful bid to host the World Cup were revealed. The removal of Sepp Blatter as president of FIFA is among the many other more notable events that are emphasised in the documentary.
Qatar earned the opportunity to host the World Cup in 2010 after competing with proposals from the United States, South Korea, Japan, and Australia. The competition is being staged in the Middle East for the first time.
Fans and the media have questioned the decision to choose Qatar as the World Cup host for a number of reasons since it was made public. Not only because homosexuality is prohibited and the nation has a horrible human rights record, but also because of the innumerable lives lost as Qatar prepared for the competition.
Fifa Uncovered is, overall, a shakily thrilling account of allegations and strange coincidences, with money appearing in brown envelopes when a significant vote is taking place and disappearing when it should be going to deserving development projects. However, the final episode drags on and could have been cut from four hours to three. The program has the addicting repulsiveness of a true-crime documentary due to the blatant misconduct of some of the participants.
Captains - six players' journeys in the World Cup qualifiers
Captains is a documentary series that Netflix, FIFA, and the Fulwell 73 studio jointly produced. It was released at the end of October, and it follows the progress of six national team captains as they compete in the World Cup Qualifiers in an effort to advance to the World Cup in Qatar.The eight-episode series, which is available on Netflix and FIFA+ (the organisation's streaming platform), chronicles the backstage activities of the teams from Brazil, Croatia, Gabon, Lebanon, Jamaica, and Vanuatu. Thiago Silva, a Brazilian defender for Paris Saint-Germain, Luka Modric, a Croatian star for Real Madrid, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a Gabonese striker for Chelsea are among the captains.
Following these athletes' journey to World Cup qualification, the show investigates how they balance their personal lives with the expectations of a whole nation, shedding light on the complicated psychology at play when an athlete competes at such a high level and with such intensity.
