Qatari Security Goons Force CBS Sports Analyst Grant Wahl to Delete Photos From His Phone at World Cup

CBS Sports analyst Grant Wahl said security guards at the Qatari World Cup forced him to delete a picture he had taken of a slogan on the wall in the media center at the games.

Wahl is in Qatar to cover the 2022 World Cup, which has been surrounded by controversy since its inception. Qatar has an infamously poor human rights record, and is accused of violations in the deaths of migrant workers as new stadiums and hotels were built in advance of the massive sports event.

Several high-profile soccer stars have spoken out against the poorly-conceived World Cup, which had to be held in the winter given the local climate.

In a typical World Cup scenario, the tournament would be played between June and July, when the athlete’s season with their pro clubs ends. This year the tournament had to shift dates because of the hot temperatures in Qatar throughout the summer months.

Wahl wrote on his Substack that he walked into the media center and took a picture of a World Cup slogan plastered on the wall. After he took the picture, he was approached by Qatari officials.

“Picture is not allowed, sir,” Wahl was told.

Wahl, confused at what he had just heard, answered the official, “but I was just taking a picture of the slogan on the wall.”

“Kindly delete it, sir,” the official responded.

“Seriously?” Wahl replied.

Read the rest of the story here.

The incident only adds to the madness that is the 2022 World Cup, which has not even kicked off yet. In another incident, Qatari officials told a Danish journalist on live TV to stop and threatened to smash his crew’s cameras.

Qatar has even been accused of hiring actors to wear different countries’ uniforms and parade in the streets to show the rest of the world the excitement around the World Cup.

The Qatari Organization Committee denied the allegations and said, “their passion for football is authentic.”

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