The 32 teams have been asked by FIFA to “now focus on the football” and leave politics behind.
Before the event, Qatar came under fire for its views on same-sex couples, human rights, and the treatment of migrant workers.
The World Cup, according to Fernandes, “could be done in a better way.”
The Manchester United midfielder told Sky Sports, “We know the circumstances of the W.C., what has been in the last few weeks, last few months, about the individuals who have died on the development of the stadiums. “We are not at all pleased about that.”
The Guardian reported in February 2021 that, based on information provided by Qatari embassies, 6,500 workers had perished in the Gulf state since it was chosen to host the World Cup.
The Qatari government, however, said that the amount was inaccurate because any of them who died would have resided and worked there for a long time and would have died from being old or other natural causes.
According to government data, just 3 of the 37 deaths of workers at World Cup stadium building sites between 2014 and 2020 were “work-related.”
The International Labor Organization claimed that even though working in hot conditions might result in respiratory failure and heart attacks, Qatar does not consider these deaths work-related.
The 28-year-old Fernandes continued, “It’s not really the time we want to be competing in the World Cup.” “Kids will be in school, adults will be working, and the timings will not be ideal for people to watch the games, so it’s not the best time for players or fans.
“We want football to be for everyone. Everyone needs to be part of the World Cup because it is for everyone, regardless of who. These things should never occur.
“However, a World Cup is more than just a football game; it’s a celebration for the players and the fans, something fun to watch, and it should be done better.”
Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen, a teammate of Fernandes’ at United, said he thinks “change has to come from someplace else” rather than from the players themselves.
Denmark’s World Cup uniforms will be “toned down” in protest of the tournament’s hosts, Qatar, while kit supplier Hummel has created a third, all-black uniform to signify the “color of grief.”
Speaking after United’s 2-1 victory against Fulham on Sunday, Eriksen continued, “I disagree with how it happened, but we’re footballers, and we play football. There’s been written, and a lot of focus on how it happened and why it’s in Qatar.