FIFA 'deeply saddened' by death of migrant worker during World Cup in Qatar

• FIFA has said it is "deeply saddened" by the death of a migrant worker during the World Cup in Qatar.
• The Athletic reported on Wednesday that a migrant worker had died at a training facility.

FIFA has said it is "deeply saddened" by the reported death of a migrant worker at a World Cup facility in Qatar.

The Athletic reported on Wednesday that a migrant worker died while performing repairs at the resort used as a training base for the Saudi Arabia squad.

The Filipino man, estimated to be in his early forties, died on the premises during the tournament, The Athletic said.

According to the outlet, the worker was involved in a forklift truck accident in which he slipped off a ramp and hit his head on a concrete floor.

Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, which organized the World Cup, said the incident happened on a public road within the resort, adjacent to the training area, and hence the worker was "not working under its remit."

The matter is now being investigated by Qatari authorities.

FIFA told BBC Sport that it had been made aware of the incident and was in touch with the local authorities to request more details.

"FIFA is deeply saddened by this tragedy and our thoughts and sympathies are with the worker's family," world soccer's governing body said.

"FIFA will be in a position to comment further once the relevant processes in relation to the worker's passing have been completed," it added.

The 2022 World Cup has been in the spotlight for years over the treatment of migrant workers hired to build and maintain the facilities needed to host the tournament.

The Guardian reported last year that there had been a total of 6,500 migrant worker deaths in Qatar since the country was named host of the 2022 World Cup, back in 2010.

Thirty seven of those deaths can be directly linked to the construction of World Cup stadiums, The Guardian said.

That figure has previously been denied by the Qatari authorities, which claimed that there had been three work-related deaths in construction related directly to the tournament.

Last month, however, Qatar World Cup Chief Hassan Al-Thawadi said otherwise.

"The estimate is around 400," Thawadi told Piers Morgan in an episode of Uncensored. "Between 400 and 500. I don't have the exact number, that is something that is being discussed."

"One death is a death too many, it's plain and simple," Al-Thawadi continued. "Every year the health and safety standards on the sites are improving, at least on our sites, the World Cup sites, the ones we are responsible for."