The Qatar World Cup starts Sunday, but it's already looking like quite a PR mess

The calamity of the 2022 World Cup started in 2010 when the tournament was awarded to Qatar

Because of how hot the summers are in Qatar, it was decided that the World Cup would be moved to the winter months, causing another series of problems

In the years leading up to the tournament, Qatar was accused of abusing foreign workers

Now on the eve of the start of play, there's still a lot that appears up in the air

As if the years leading up to the World Cup in Qatar weren't already ethically dubious enough, on the verge of the actual start of play, there are still many unresolved questions about how the tournament is going to go.

While having the start of a massive sporting event clouded by controversies or questions is nothing new — China came under fire for its treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang while the country hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics and Russia hosted the previous World Cup in 2018 in the aftermath of corruption accusations — in those cases, controversies took a back seat once the games began.

While that may again be the case in Qatar, the final days before the start of the tournament have been rife with bad PR for the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

On Friday, the tournament announced in a last-minute reversal that the sale of beer would be banned in stadiums throughout the tournament

Fan zones were created to house those visiting earned headlines, as it appears those in attendance will be staying in modified shipping containers

Even some of the high-end accommodations are reportedly not ready for use

Meanwhile, Qatar worked to secure some positive messaging by inviting select fans to the tournament with comped airfare and tickets in exchange for promoting what a good time they were having

But days before the start of the tournament, fans taking part in the program learned they would not be receiving the daily food and beverage stipend they had been promised, per the Guardian

Fans aren't the only ones picking up some perks. Broadcast partner FOX reportedly planned to send a skeleton crew to the World Cup until Qatar Airways, a major sponsor and majority owned by the royal family, offered to cover the airfare of a bigger staff

Newscasters are already dealing with issues of censorship, including one camera crew that had their equipment threatened

Once the tournament begins, maybe this all fades away. But heading into the opening match, there are plenty of storylines to follow both on and off the pitch