The World Cup is here! Yay or Nay?
ZWF #41: Sunday, November 20, 2022
“The World Cup is here” are some of the greatest words any soccer fan will hear, but there’s a lot more that goes into this year’s edition than what’s going on on the field.
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a look at all aspects of the World Cup, plus a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Additionally, a compilation of the top stories in news and sports from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 82 features a preview of the World Cup, which begins today! Zander is joined by Zander’s Facts soccer analyst Emma Adams to break down everything you need to know before a ball is kicked and predict who will be hoisting the trophy next month. Plus, Zander looks back at last week’s Midterm Elections. Go download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to give you the facts about what has been going on in the world around us this past week. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts podcast.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, November 20, 2022:
A tainted World Cup
Today is a great day for soccer fans around the world. Today marks the beginning of the World Cup, soccer’s largest event that pits 32 nations against each other once every four years.
It’s a soccer fans’ dream, but there’s a lot more to talk about other than what’s going to be happening on the field.
Controversies have been swirling around this World Cup ever since it was announced that Qatar would be hosting it back in 2010. That’s right, Qatar. A country the size of Connecticut with a population of fewer than three million people.
73% of those 2.9 million Qatari residents are migrant workers. Migrant workers who have come to Qatar with the hope of bringing back wealth and opportunity to their families in their home countries. Migrant workers who have had their passports and exit visas kept by their employers, who have been prevented from changing jobs, and who have been working in unbearable conditions.
It was estimated by The Guardian last year that nearly 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since the games were awarded in 2010. Amnesty International believes that that number could be as high as 11,000.
Everything that these migrant workers have been through has been documented extensively by several outlets, including an ESPN E:60 documentary.
But that’s not all that’s controversial with this World Cup.
Qatar’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws have caused serious worries, although both Qatar and FIFA have assured that rainbow flags and apparel will be allowed. However, many are taking those assurances with a grain of salt after Qatar backtracked on its plan to sell beer at stadiums just two days before Sunday. A decision that was met with no argument from FIFA, the organization that governs soccer and the World Cup.
There’s also the fact that this World Cup is being conducted during the late fall and winter instead of its usual summer timeframe. That is because Qatar has failed to live up to its promise that the games will be played in climate-controlled areas, a necessity in the Qatar summer where temperatures can reach up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
And who could forget that the United States Department of Justice has accused Qatar and Russia of bribing FIFA officials in order to guarantee their votes for hosting the tournament.
It’s hard to think of all the corruption and controversy when thinking about this World Cup. While hundreds of millions of fans will be watching the games from all around the world for the next month, it’s important to remember that Qatar and FIFA are not who they want us to believe.
For more on the controversies surrounding the World Cup and a preview of what will happen on the field, check out Episode 82 of the Zander’s Facts podcast!
What Zander’s been reading this week
In 2022, we often take the internet for granted. That’s thanks to underwater cables, which run for thousands of miles on the sea floor to connect the world. But do you know just how important those ultra-durable cables are?
Check out this week’s featured article on WIRED - The Most Vulnerable Place on the Internet (Link for article on Apple News)
Rapid-fire Facts
Here are the top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Polish farmland was struck by several missiles that killed two people on Tuesday. The next day, after much skepticism over who and where the missiles came from, Poland and the head of NATO announced that they believed the missiles were launched unintentionally by Ukrainian air defense forces. At the time, Russia had been attacking Ukraine with many missiles that took a heavy toll on Ukraine’s power grid, just as winter approaches.
The 2022 U.S. Midterm Elections have resulted in a split Congress, but a stronger-than-expected showing for Democrats. Nearly two weeks after Election Day, most congressional races have been called, with Democrats retaining an advantage in the Senate, while Republicans won enough seats to take control of the House of Representatives. However, Republicans’ majority in the House is expected to be slim, and combined with failing to take control of the Senate, many experts believe Democrats overperformed expectations that largely saw the party in power losing control of both Congressional chambers. Only one Senate race is left to be called, with the Georgia Senate race between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker heading to a December 6 runoff.
The Department of Justice has named Jack Smith as the special counsel that will oversee the department’s several criminal investigations of former President Donald Trump. Smith joined DOJ as a prosecutor in 1999, and most recently was the chief prosecutor for the special court in The Hague that investigated war crimes in Kosovo. Attorney General Merrick Garland made the announcement on Friday, just days after Trump announced that he will run for president in 2024.
A bill that would protect same-sex and interracial marriage has passed a key procedural vote in the Senate. 12 Republicans voted to advance the bill and break the filibuster along with all 50 Democrats. The bill now awaits a final vote in the Senate before it goes to the House and President Biden. However, there are some that believe the bill does not go far enough. That is because while the bill requires any marriage that took place while it was legal in the state to be legal, it does not codify same-sex marriage protections.
8 billion people now live on earth, according to a new report from the United Nations. While the world crossed the 7 billion mark in 2011, experts expect the growth to slow as they expect the 9 billion mark will not be crossed for another 15 years. Additionally, while the average life expectancy across the globe was 72.98 years in 2019, it is expected to rise to 77.2 in 2050.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top sports stories from the past week in the Sporting Club:
Three University of Virginia football players were killed in a shooting Sunday night that left another two injured. The suspect, former UVA football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the alleged commission of a felony. The three victims, D’Sean Perry, Devin Chandler, and Lavel Davis Jr, were remembered during a memorial service that took place on Saturday afternoon.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving could return to the court on Sunday after clearing the steps the Nets deemed necessary to return to the team. Irving previously posted a tweet that promoted a book and movie that contained antisemitic terms and ideas. Irving has since publicly apologized twice, saying he is not antisemitic. After meeting Irving, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver concluded the same. Irving had been suspended a minimum of five games by the Nets for not previously issuing an apology.
Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo criticized the club and manager Erik ten Hag in a recent interview. Ronaldo has struggled to start this season under new manager ten Hag and had been reportedly frustrated at the club before the interview was leaked on Sunday. Ronaldo said of ten Hag, “I think he don’t respect (me) the way I should deserve.” “This is why I say I don’t have respect for him, because he don’t show respect for me.” After the interview, Manchester United announced that it is taking “appropriate steps,” although it is expected that Ronaldo will be dealt to another club or the club will end his contract.
The NFL’s week 11 will not have a game played in Buffalo, as was expected. The Browns-Bills game scheduled for 1:00 pm et was moved from Buffalo to Detroit after it was anticipated that the Buffalo area could receive up to six feet of snow through this weekend. Elsewhere around the country, the 1:00 pm et window features the Eagles-Colts, Jets-Patriots, and Lions-Giants. At 4:25 pm et, two meaningful matchups between the Cowboys and Vikings, and the Bengals and Steelers. On Sunday night, AFC West foes face off with the Chiefs taking on the Chargers, and it’s an NFC West matchup on Monday night between the 49ers and Cardinals. On Thursday night, the Titans bested the packers 27-17.
Week 12 in College Football was the penultimate week of the regular season, with many teams gearing up for rivalries next week. #1 Georgia survived Kentucky 17-7 on the road, while #3 Michigan came back against Illinois to win 19-17, and #4 TCU needed a last-second field goal to take down Baylor 29-28. In a couple of upsets, Louisville took down #24 NC State 25-10, Navy knocked off #20 UCF 20-14, Arkansas stomped #14 Ole Miss 42-27, and South Carolina ran up the score on #5 Tennessee 63-38. In some Pac-12 after dark action, #7 USC got a massive 48-45 win over cross-town rival ##16 UCLA.
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Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on everything Zander’s Facts related, including the all-new Zander’s Facts website. At ZandersFacts.com, get the latest on all the facts that Zander is putting out, and check out the freshest styles at the Zander’s Facts shop!
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment. That includes the next episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, November 27, 2022.
