Preparations in Qatar have been filled with workplace safety issues
After being plagued with issues of worker safety in this year’s edition of the World Cup, soccer’s international governing body FIFA is looking to hire a CHRO for FIFA World Cup 2026.
As the first full-time executive of the 2026 event, the CHRO “will play a major role in constructing the organizational structure across North America over the coming three and a half years,” according to Prodigy Search, the boutique recruiting firm FIFA tapped to fill the requirement.
“This CHRO is a key executive leadership role at FWC2026 and will be charged with setting the direction for and serving as a trusted advisor on all aspects of human resources management and organizational development throughout North America,” said the recruiting firm. “This position will attract, develop, and grow high-caliber professionals, leading the workforce culture across all 16 cities in their respective host countries—the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.”
The executive will manage all aspects of human resources, including talent acquisition, talent management, diversity and inclusion, learning and development, total rewards, HR operations/HRIS, workforce planning and HR analytics, and employee relations.
Candidates must have significant, senior-level knowledge and experience in all aspects of human resources leadership.
Meanwhile, FIFA president Gianni Infantino noted that he has spoken with Dr Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Qatar’s minister of labor, and that he is confident that FIFA, Qatar and the International Labor Organization (ILO), “can make further progress.”
“We have made significant progress in recent years through our collaboration together on the conditions of workers in Qatar and I am looking forward to a more formalized cooperation between our institutions on a global scale,” he said.
This comes after several corporate sponsors of the 2022 FIFA World Cup called on football’s international governing body and the Qatari government to compensate workers who have suffered during tournament preparations.
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In September, McDonald’s claimed that it has been in regular communication with FIFA regarding human rights violations, worker safety and worker’s rights.
“We recognize there is more to be done to ensure that the World Cup leaves a positive legacy in Qatar,” said Jennifer McColloch, chief sustainability officer at McDonald’s. “We will continue working with FIFA, human rights experts, and the other sponsors to help spur positive change on human rights, including supporting processes that facilitate access to remedy, both around the tournament and in the communities we serve.”
The World Cup preparations in Qatar have been filled with workplace safety issues.
In a 2020 report, the Qatari government said its accident records showed that between 2014 and 2020, there were 37 deaths among laborers at World Cup stadium construction sites. Only three of these deaths were "work-related".
However, in November 2021, ILO said 50 workers lost their lives in 2020 and just over 500 were severely injured, with 37,600 suffering mild to moderate injuries.