"'I've made it clear where I stand on Qatar': How Jackson Irvine found his voice," 16 Dec 2021

[Jackson] Irvine, 28, was one of several current and former national team players who this week met with representatives from Amnesty International and FIFPRO to discuss the role and responsibility of athletes participating in the World Cup...

Irvine said the briefings provided crucial information for the players to consider...

PFA co-chief executive Beau Busch encouraged players not to be fearful and reminded them of the power of collective action. “At our best, PFA members have helped save the life of a refugee in Hakeem al-Araibi, championed same-sex marriage, achieved equal pay, reformed the labour rights system in 1995 in the face of fierce opposition, and established Australian sport’s first Equal Opportunity Code,” he said.

[FIFPRO General Secretary Jonas] Baer-Hoffmann, who is based in Amsterdam, pointed out that while the players didn’t vote for the World Cup to be held in Qatar, they would inevitably be the face of the tournament...

“There is always a little bug in the back of your head that starts to cling onto self-preservation. The first instinct is to think, how will speaking up affect me?” [Irvine] said.

“But when you consider the conditions for workers in Qatar, any negative impact that it may have on my career is minuscule compared to the potential impact we can have as players to drive sustainable change.”