WHY IS THE World Cup being held in Qatar? What about the reports about thousands of migrants affected by the event? What will the heat mean for the teams? And who might win?

You probably have a lot of questions about this year’s World Cup, which will kick off in four days in Qatar. The location of this event is much talked about and debated, with serious concerns about it a number of factors. The excitement is there for many fans, but it’s muted compared to previous cups.

To talk us through all you need to know about the World Cup and its background, this week we have The42.ie soccer writer Gavin Cooney in studio. He will be heading to Qatar soon and on this week’s episode he joins fellow soccer fan Sinéad O’Carroll to discuss the event, the politics, the players and more.

The Explainer / SoundCloud

This episode was put together by presenter Sinéad O’Carroll, and producers Aoife Barry and Nicky Ryan.

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