The Qatar World Cup literally kicks off in a display of glitz and glamour this weekend which will no doubt overshadow the underbelly of this small country in the middle east. The football association of wales ( FAW) is already $1.5 million dollars to the good for qualifying for the tournament, that just to assist the countries preparations pre tournament.

We look at the figures and the cost, then we look at the country that hosts this World Cup.

The overall prize money is $440 million dollars with the eventual champions getting $42 million and the runners up $30 million. So, what can the FAW expect from this years tournament ? If those many factors collide that ensure Cymru qualify from their group they receive a further $9 million. Win their round of sixteen game and it’s another $13 million. Now we are talking big money for the FAW.

In 1982, the first World Cup England managed to qualify for by playing qualification games since 1962 - the total prize money was around $2 million dollars. Compared to Wales successful 2016 Euros journey in France the this years World Cup prize money is higher. All 24 Euro 2016 teams received a participating fee of €8m back then. During the group phase there were also performance bonuses of €1m for a win and €500,000 for a draw. Once UEFA EURO 2016 entered its knockout phase, there were no more performance bonuses. Instead, the teams participating in the round of 16 received €1.5m, the eight quarter-finalists received an additional payment of €2.5m. The financial reward for reaching the semi-finals was an extra payment of €4m. The FAW coffers had never been so well stocked in their history that’s for sure.

The rewards for the chief executive, staff and employees are not to be sniffed at if you get a job in those hallowed offices right by the Vale resort in Pontyclun. Chief executive Noel Mooney joined the FAW from UEFA last year where he was head of strategic development working with all 55 European federations on their development including strategy, commercial revenues, participation, public affairs, digital transformation and governance. Nice and catchy those words. Mooney was a goalkeeper for a number of years in the league of Ireland.

Delivering an operating profit of around £240,000 was exceptional earlier this month. Turnover for the 12-months ending 30th June was £23.2m. Gross profit of £11.6m was recorded, with the gross profit margin for the year increasing to 50% (up from 49% in previous year). That’s all due to Wales football success. In June the associations balance sheet was over £14 million pounds.

If Wales were to match their Euro 2016 pathway they would accrue nigh on $40 million dollars on top of their already vast sums earned. It would guarantee a total of around $65 million dollars. That would keep the association running for a few months that’s for sure. Football has never been so flush with cash, and cash as we know can become the ‘root’ to all evil, and FIFA have never been that far away from speculation on its management of tournament allocation.

We draw a line and this in no way is a comparison. But it has to be said.

Regardless of your thoughts on this years location for the World Cup, the people involved and the controversy over many hundreds of deaths in stadium construction, Qatar 2022 is upon us.The cash flow is no longer a mirage in the desert, it’s real. It comes with a bloodline of destroyed lives and hopeless futures, most certainly of open discrimination and dominance as to what people want to be and when. That’s the level of the disgusting abuse this country supports.

And it is disgusting. The regime supported and legislated is overseen by Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani. The prime minister for the want of other words. The monarch is Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, a man with three wives, some that are close family, as a result he has thirteen children. He is considered a more lenient and less controlling monarch, what that actually looks like is slightly more alarming. Some 16 percent of men and 7 percent of women living in Qatar say a husband is justified in “hitting or beating” their wives in certain circumstances, namely if the woman leave the house without telling her spouse or if she neglects their children, according to the Ministry of Development & Planning Statistics in Qatar.

Alison Paterson from Haverfordwest has written to Rob Page reminding him of the murder of her daughter Lauren. She was kidnapped raped, stabbed to death and set on fire in Qatar in 2013. The perpetrator was sentenced to ten years in jail, his accomplice to just three for aiding and abetting and destroying evidence. That’s the value placed on the life of Lauren. Alison has asked the players to make an L shape with their arms in support of her daughter.

However, none of that matters because as we know when billions are at stake, and it is billions, it’s not just the countries participating that take a share, that’s small fry by comparison. The business connections, income and wealth that will be distributed because of this World Cup is immeasurable. And that’s why despite the deaths, the massive human rights breaches and continued refusal to accept all people for what they are, and the host countries determination to enforce their will on anything deemed weaker or perverse, the world cup is here.

Money is the driver, money can always change minds and deliver a happiness that all is well and nothing is bad in the world. It will cover up the deaths, it has covered up many things not just migrant workers being killed daily. If Gareth Bale, Joe Allen or Aaron Ramsey do celebrate the pinnacle of their work at the Al Rayyan Stadium over the next three games there should be a footnote.

When they dance and celebrate as they will, as will many others it should be remembered the earth of those stadiums are soaked in blood. The mud runs a deep red that money has cleverly washed away in a glitz and glamour gifted frontage for the world to see. That’s the true reality of this World Cup, and the vast majority of us will no doubt forget that come an exciting penalty shoot out or massive decision that leads to a memorable conclusion to any game.

How money talks ? It doesn’t really matter, we all know the details, but in the main we will choose not to delve too deeply. Why would we ? There’s nothing we can do about it …

Because money will eliminate you quickly and more efficiently than any group stage game, and it will wash you away as well.

Photographs licensed from Reuters and partner agency

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