The vast majority of sponsors and kit manufacturers at this winter’s World Cupin Qatar have declined to offer support for migrant workers when asked by The Athletic....

At the start of October, The Athletic contacted 21 official sponsors and kit manufacturers, asking each organisation the same six questions:

1. What concrete action, if any, has already been taken to raise awareness and/or assist migrant workers during preparations for the tournament?
2. What concrete action, if any, will be taken to raise awareness and/or assist migrant workers during the tournament?
3. Does the company support the creation of a migrant compensation fund and/or a Migrant Workers’ Centre?
4. Will the company be sharing any profits from the tournament with human rights organisations working on rectifying the alleged abuses?
5. How many employees is the organisation sending to Qatar?
6. Do you have any statement responding to human rights concerns at the tournament, with workers described by Amnesty International as facing “death or injury, wage theft, and debt from illegal recruitment fees while preparing the tournament”?

Of the 21 companies, only five responded to The Athletic’s queries — Adidas, Hyundai, Budweiser, McDonald’s, and Hummel. 

The nine sponsors that failed to respond were Coca-Cola, Wanda Group, Qatar Airways, QatarEnergy, Visa, BJYU’S, Hisense, Vivo, and Crypto.com. 

The kit manufacturers that did not comment were Nike, Puma, Marathon, Majid, Le Coq Sportif, New Balance, and Kappa. 

Hummel, which last month released a Denmark kit criticising the treatment of migrant workers, invited The Athletic to have a conversation about the issues with owner Christian Stadil.