A Mural Celebrated Migrant Workers. When the World Cup Began, It Was Gone.

LUSAIL, Qatar — The giant mural with thousands of faces was certainly an arresting feature for visitors of Qatar’s showpiece stadium in the The months leading to the World Cup.

When the Buses stopped at the Journalists visiting the site were directed to a location near Gate 32. There was in the Shadow of the vast golden bowl of the The $1 billion Lusail stadium was a complex mosaic that ran along a wall almost 20 feet high. It featured passport-style photographs of men looking straight ahead.

The mural, a representative of Qatar’s organizing committee said, was a way for the Country to pay homage the Army of men who worked hard for years in the fields the Desert sun scorching to heat the Cathedrals the country’s World Cup ambitions.

But then the World Cup Get started the Faces were gone.

Instead, the V.I.P.s as well as other high-rollers who will arrive in luxurious cars and luxury vans beneath Gate 32 will only be able to see a wall. World Cup Logos and slogans. There is no trace of those men, who lived — and sometimes died — to turn a $200 billion nation-building project into reality.

No official reason has been given. the Eliminating the mural — a point of pride less than six months ago. Qatar’s Supreme Committee, the Responsible for building the stadiums declined to comment.

Two people familiar with the situation say they believe the Planning for the World CupThere was however a growing concern. the Additional attention would be drawn to murals the The harsh criticism Qatar has been receiving for its treatment towards migrant workers has been stinging. Because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, the officials spoke under anonymity. the preparations.

Numerous thousands of migrants have arrived from all over the world to work in one of these countries. the Poorest parts of the Planet are attracted to the Every year, workers from the Persian Gulf and other rich countries of Asia travel to Asia to work in construction projects or as service workers. According to human rights groups, thousands of workers took part in projects that were related to the 2022 World Cup Qatari officials strongly dispute the claim that more people have died since Qatar was granted hosting rights in 2010.

In interviews, fans attending the A tournament has acknowledged that they are uncomfortable about actually going on vacation in a place made through. the Others’ hardships

“We wouldn’t be here, the tourists wouldn’t be here, the players on the field would not be here without them,” Ezequiel Gatti raised his voice in order to be heard. the tumult of Argentina’s traveling army after a win over Mexico on Saturday at Lusail. Fernando Lalo from Buenos Aires said he wasn’t aware of the He hoped that something similar would take its place. the The tournament is over.

“There should be visibility so people can see, so they can know,” He said.

On Thursday, hours before Brazil’s opening game of the Lusail Stadium, where the tournament was held, laborers continued to work nearby on a building project for apartments. Many claimed they had seen it. the The mural the workers’ faces before it was obscured but were unaware it had now been removed. However, they stated that they would not attend games during the event. the World Cup.

“It’s just crass and disrespectful to put these men in the spotlight when it suits you and then completely obscure their role by painting over it,” Nicholas McGeehan the Fair Square, a human right group that focuses primarily on human rights, is co-director. the Qatari treatment of migrants

“I hate to use ‘virtue signaling,’ but it seems appropriate in this instance, highlighting the sacrifice of workers when it suits you from a public relations perspective and removing them from the picture when they cease to be useful.”

Qatar, just like many other countries in the world, the The Persian Gulf relies heavily upon migrant workers. Nearly 90 percent the country’s population are foreigners.

“The World Cup would not have been possible without them,” McGeehan also mentioned migrant workers. “They build and sustain everything. If they disappeared tomorrow, the country would cease to function.”

After years of criticism, news coverage has focused on the issue for many years. the Qatar has taken steps to alleviate the suffering of migrants workers. the most comprehensive labor reforms in the region. These include the The abolition the The kafala system was a type labor contract that held employees to a single employer and led to frequent abuses. Qatar also established a minimum wage. the The equivalent of approximately $300 per month