Two thirds of NL residents want World Cup moved away from Qatar

Two-thirds of Netherlands residents think that the upcoming World Cup should not be held in Qatar because of the human rights violations in the country, Motivaction found in a survey of over 1,000 Netherlands residents aged 18 to 80.

The survey was prompted by Oranje sponsors like ING, Albert Heijn, and the Dutch Lottery announcing that they would not be going to Qatar for the World Cup and will not campaign around it. Supermarket chain Lidl also pulled its major advertising campaign around the World Cup.

A clear majority of Netherlands residents approve of these steps, Motivaction said in a press release. They most often cite human rights abuses for why they don't want Dutch companies campaigning around the World Cup. Half approve of ING's decision not to campaign and say that other companies should follow the bank and sponsor's example. They don't mind companies supporting the Dutch national team, but they consider campaigning inappropriate.

The researchers found that age plays a significant role in how people view this situation. Older people are more negative about the World Cup and the sponsorship around the event. "It is striking that Generation Z, labeled the woke generation by the media, appears to have the least difficulty with the human rights situation and sponsorship surrounding the event," Motivaction said.