SUMMARY
- Gareth Bale's Netflix appearance sparked a sensitive 2022 World Cup debate.
- Gareth Bale's comment joking about Qatar's strict policies on homos*xuality suggested that if he engaged in certain acts, he could face consequences like imprisonment or deportation.
Gareth Bale’s appearance in the latest Netflix documentary of the 2022 FIFA World Cup touched upon a sensitive topic that was a hot debate last year. Netflix premiered a documentary featuring the captain of every nation that appeared in Qatar which has been trending since the release.
In the second episode of the documentary, ‘Captains of the World’, Gareth Bale was caught on camera taking a massage from his physio. The interviewer observed Bale and commented: “It looks like his fingers are inside your body.” Bale was quick to answer back to the interviewer: “Well they are not, because they are outside my body. If they were inside I would be very worried. I don’t think you can do that in Qatar (laughs).”
This is the story of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With exclusive access to all 32 teams as they fight for football glory.
Captains of the World is now streaming. pic.twitter.com/GMduJwuR9w
— Netflix (@netflix) December 30, 2023
The quirky comment from Gareth Bale was a slight jab at the strict policies of Qatar on homos*xuality. The Wales captain pointed out that if the fingers were inside him, then that might go against the policies of Qatar, and he might end up in jail or be deported from the World Cup.
The Qatar World Cup was surrounded by controversies, from the dodgy hosting rights awarded by FIFA to human rights violations in the preparation for the month-long event. This Netflix documentary was more focused on the on-field action but this slight jab by Bale helped in shifting the discussion away from the field.
Gareth Bale was not allowed to wear ‘One Love’ armbands in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The strict policies of Qatar on homos*xuality were in the spotlight during the World Cup when captains of England, Wales, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark announced that they would ditch the “OneLove” armbands during the World Cup. The decision came after FIFA pointed out that players wearing the band will be booked on the field.
FIFA policies prohibit team equipment from having any political, religious, or personal slogans. The OneLove armbands were designed to convey a message in favor of homos*xuality. However, the message went against FIFA policies as well as the national policies of Qatar.
German team protests FIFA’s ban of the OneLove armband
📷 @inafassb pic.twitter.com/B3JuxGgqEI
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) November 23, 2022
All this ended up being the perfect media storm against Qatar during the biggest event in their sporting history. In the end, the captain of each European nation ditched the ‘OneLove’ armbands and word the armbands provided by FIFA. Wales was prepared to pay fines for wearing the ‘OneLove’ armbands during the World Cup, but the sporting sanctions of yellow cards were a step too far.
Overall, the on-field action proved to be the perfect distraction for the casual fans, as the overall tone surrounding the FIFA World Cup turned into a celebration after Messi achieved eternal glory by winning the final against France. However, for some, the 2022 edition of the biggest soccer event proved another reminder that inclusivity can also be pushed aside if it comes in the way of the main action.