A year to go, Qatar World Cup still feels heat of scrutiny

By ROB HARRIS
AP Global Soccer Writer

The eight stadiums for the 2022 Qatar World Cup — all within a 30-mile radius of Doha — are now largely complete. The World Cup has been preserved after fending off hostility from neighbors, corruption investigations and concerns about worker abuses. And a clock on the Corniche waterfront in the Qatari capital was unveiled on Sunday to count down one year until kickoff. Expect another 12 months of pressure from rights groups — fueled by player protests — and indignation from some World Cup organizers. Organizing committee CEO Nasser Al Khater complains “Qatar has been unfairly treated and scrutinized.” That scrutiny has produced improvements to labor laws.