Sponsors of Belgium national football team will stay away from Qatar

Several sponsors of the Belgian national football team, the Red Devils, are refusing to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, on account of the poor human rights situation in the host country. After courier company GLS and department store chain Carrefour had already withdrawn yesterday, chocolate producer Côte D'Or joined their ranks on Thursday, De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad reported.

“We believe that this World Cup should not be used for commercial purposes”, GLS stated on Wednesday. The parcel service will also not carry out any World Cup campaigns in our country. Carrefour on the other hand, announced it is planning a campaign around the Red Devils. “But it is not related to the World Cup.”

Six other sponsors of the Red Devils have also unanimously spoken out against the human rights situation in Qatar, but without taking any further steps than to express their support and confidence in the plan of the Belgian national Football Association. The latter has announced it will only cooperate with companies that have signed a charter for human rights and working conditions.

GLS, Carrefour and Côte d'Or are following in the footsteps of several Dutch companies such as ING Bank Netherlands, the Dutch Lottery, supermarket chain Albert Heijn, telecom provider KPN and cryptocurrency exchange company Bitvavo. These five sponsors of the Dutch national team already announced last week that they would not travel to Qatar. ING Belgium, the main sponsor of the Red Devils, was asked at the time what their plans were. ING Belgium, however, said it is “too early to tell”.

(BRV)

© BELGA PHOTO HANDOUT KBVB/RBFA (Belgian national Football Association)