Why Saudi Arabia Isn't the Cinderella Story You Want

The early part of a World Cup that set the stage to shatter colonial myths about the Middle East has had plenty of drama, from Cameroon-born Swiss player Breel Embolo scoring the lone goal to lift Switzerland above Cameroon, to an upset win by Japan over one of the tournament favorites, Germany. The biggest upset story, though, was Argentina and Leo Messi losing to Saudi Arabia. Most people love an underdog story. The problem, as this astute article from Al Jazeera points out, is that Saudi Arabia isn’t the Cinderella story that you want it to be.

In a World Cup already stained by controversy about human rights and the many migrant workers who came to Qatar and died during the construction of the mega-stadiums required for the big games, the Saudi Arabia victory risks distracting us from the larger picture. It’s an important perspective to remember as the games go on and the issues that were so prominent going into the major tournament fade into the background. The fact that the World Cup is in a region it hasn’t been to before is a glorious thing. It is also a tragedy on a human level for the people who were manipulated and abused to make it happen. This may be a contradiction, but that doesn’t make either statement untrue.