Philipp Lahm says it was ‘mistake’ to award WCup to Qatar

BERLIN (AP) — Former Germany captain Philipp Lahm says it was “a mistake” to award the World Cup to Qatar. Lahm is the head of Germany’s organizing committee for the 2024 European Championship. He writes in a column for Zeit Online that the World Cup “does not belong” in Qatar and he has criticized the human rights situation in the nation. Lahm says “homosexuals are still being criminalized, women do not have the same rights as men, and there are restrictions on freedom of the press and expression.” He adds that conditions for migrant workers are “devastating.” Lahm won the World Cup with Germany in 2014. He slammed FIFA for awarding the tournament to Qatar in 2010 when he says there were better candidates available.