Socceroos could 'spark' more Qatar World Cup activism after 'powerful' video: Carl Valeri

In the three-minute video, 16 players called for the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships and greater support of migrant workers following multiple deaths in the construction of World Cup infrastructure in Qatar.

The players argued that Qatar had shown that their values do not align with football's "universal values" of "respect, dignity, trust and courage".

Football Australia re-shared the video and released a support statement as players felt compelled to speak out before the tournament begins on November 20.

"I saw the video, and I think it's great to see athletes standing up for what they believe is right," Valeri told The Canberra Times.

"I'm sure it'll have an effect on people.

"This may be the catalyst for campaigns from other countries, especially as the FIFA World Cup is the biggest event in the world, it could potentially spark more."

The Socceroos' activism follows the much-publicised stand-off between Netball Australia, its players, and a $15 million sponsorship deal from mining giant Hancock Prospecting, where the Diamonds players' brave objection led to Gina Rinehart pulling the funding with a parting blow questioning the validity of mixing politics and sport.

But Valeri said athletes shouldn't be underestimated, and encouraged them to use their voice.

"There's a lot of issues going on in the world and athletes have an ability to get an audience immediately," he said.

"People just assume they just get on and don't worry about what's happening, but it's not true.

"They're informed, intelligent and up to date with what's happening in the world, and they can have strong opinions.

"This is about their values and to turn a blind eye would detract to that. The fact they united together over a cause we probably take for granted in Australia, sends a powerful message to future generations."

While the video was mostly received well by Socceroos fans, Valeri said any suggestion of going further and boycotting the World Cup would be unnecessary and unfair.

"You can still do something like this, still participate and still raise awareness about a controversial message," he said.

"It doesn't have to be all or nothing. The more people that know about it, the more people talk about it."

Sport Integrity Research Lead at the University of Canberra, Associate Professor Catherine Ordway, agreed that a boycott is not always the ace card it may appear.

"We've got to be more nuanced than that," she said. "That just impacts the individual athletes that lose the opportunity to play.

"I think this is a very respectful way to go about it.

"It is a reflection of what we've been seeing in the last decade where athlete activism has been on the rise. There's momentum now so athletes feel safer to be able to speak out.

"We're understanding that human rights matter to everyone."

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