62 days before the controversial World Cup in Qatar, the German Football Association (DFB) hosted a congress on the situation in the host country. Around 90 participants from the fields of sport, politics, media and business, as well as fan organisations and non-governmental organisations met... They discussed human rights in sport, the current human rights situation in Qatar as well as the role of the DFB as a participant in the tournament...

The perspective of the players must also not be forgotten and it is not only what happens on the pitch that is decisive. It is just as important to deal with the situation in the host country in a responsible manner...

The DFB also intensified its dialogue with the relevant stakeholders at the congress. This comes after the men’s team took a critical stance to the situation in Qatar during the international matches back in March and June, with their cooperation with groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and others.

Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Federation, expressed the view that: “The most important thing is that we understand that this topic isn’t going anywhere.” Celia Sasic, DFB vice president of equality and diversity, added to this, by stating: “In two years, we have the European Championships in Germany, in which we can all demonstrate what we are demanding at the moment."