World Cup sponsor Visa: 'We continue to be troubled by the reports coming out of Qatar'

It's often been suggested that targeting the 2022 World Cup's sponsors is one of the best ways to shed light on the modern slavery that plagues Qatar and have the country stripped of its hosting duties.

Despite the nation's promises to improve conditions, a recent report from the Guardian claimed that Nepalese migrants building the infrastructure for the tournament are dying at a rate of one every two days - a figure that doesn't even take into account migrant workers from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

FIFA's sponsors are deemed to be more accessible than the governing body itself, and this week saw the launch of a campaign by the International Trade Union Confederation, Play Fair Qatar and the NewFifaNow group that aims to shame the 2022 World Cup's sponsors with the conditions the labourers building the competition's infrastructure are forced to endure.

"As things stand, more than 62 workers will die for each game played during the 2022 tournament," Play Fair Qatar stated, according to the Guardian.

Some sponsors are listening.

On Wednesday, Visa - one of the the competition's largest sponsors - issued a statement regarding the treatment of migrant workers. While the world's leading payments technology company has yet to withdraw its sponsorship, its words illustrate the power campaigns can have, and should be viewed as progress when it comes to addressing the issue of modern slavery in Qatar.

We continue to be troubled by the reports coming out of Qatar related to the World Cup and migrant worker conditions. We have expressed our grave concern to FIFA and urge them to take all necessary actions to work with the appropriate authorities and organizations to remedy this situation and ensure the health and safety of all involved.

Also among the 2022 World Cup's sponsors are Adidas, Hyundai, Kia, McDonalds, Budweiser and Coca Cola.