Qatar and human rights: tense interview with Al Khater 4:16
(CNN) --
The captain of Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning team Philipp Lahm has said it was "a mistake" to award the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar and he will not attend the event.
He said so in a column published in the Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom on Tuesday.
Lahm, who is also the tournament director for the Euro 2024 final - to be hosted by Germany - said "giving the World Cup to Qatar was a mistake. It doesn't belong there."
Lahm criticized Qatar's human rights record, specifically referencing the country's treatment of migrant workers, women's rights and its stance on LGBTQ rights.
This is the situation in Qatar for the LGBTQ community, women and migrants
"In the future, human rights must become an indispensable criterion for major sporting events," Lahm wrote.
“Qatar has made progress in the face of fan criticism and media investigations by ratifying some agreements under international law and introducing the minimum wage.
But gay people are still criminalized, women don't have the same rights as men, and freedom of the press and freedom of expression are restricted," Lahm said.
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"The conditions of migrant workers, thanks to which this World Cup will be possible, have been devastating. Their deaths were accepted and not investigated, their families were not adequately compensated," he said.
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Neither Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy nor world soccer's governing body FIFA immediately responded to CNN's request for comment.
Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy had previously told CNN that the World Cup "will be an inclusive and safe tournament" and that the labor reforms have significantly improved the lives of thousands of workers.
"Everyone is welcome, regardless of race, background, religion, gender, orientation, or nationality."
"We have also committed to ensuring that this World Cup leaves a transformative legacy on a social, human, economic and environmental level, and that it is remembered as a historic moment in the history of our region," added the Supreme Committee for the Delivery and Qatar Legacy.
Lahm said he will watch the tournament, but has no interest in attending.
"In the stadiums there will be paid influencers to create the atmosphere and public relations on social media," Lahm said.
"This environment does not interest me as a football fan. I would only have flown to Qatar if my job as tournament director required it. As it is not the case, I stay at home," he concluded.
Germany