An Argentinian female reporter says she was pickpocketed on live television while reporting at the World Cup in Qatar, losing documents and money from her handbag.
Dominique Metzger, a journalist for Todo Noticias, was reporting from Doha ahead of the first match when she said her personal belongings were stolen.
Video of the reported theft was shared with the Daily Mail.
Female TV reporter is robbed live on air at Qatar World Cup https://t.co/an5VWxwhuE
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) November 21, 2022
“I had my small bag on me with all the things that one needs, my wallet, the keys to our hotel room, some napkins,” Metzger told a TN network anchor.
“And you were dancing, right?” the anchor asked.
“Yes, I was dancing with the crowd and I’m convinced that it was at that moment when someone opened the bag zipper and took my wallet,” Metzer responded.
The reporter soon reached out for assistance with her documents after the incident.
“Thank you very much, they already contacted me and they are helping me with all the paperwork!” Metzger later updated followers on Twitter regarding assistance with her documents.
Muchas gracias ya se pusieron en contacto y me están ayudando con todos los trámites! 😍 https://t.co/ioPrmOGrvN
— Dominique Metzger (@dominiquemetz) November 19, 2022
The incident comes among multiple controversies as the World Cup began over the weekend in Qatar. The event marks its first time being held in the Middle East, celebrated as a success by some while others have expressed concerns.
Qatar has been called out for human rights violations and its stance on LGBTQ people, where it remains illegal to be homosexual. As recently as this month, the Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman called homosexuality “damage in the mind,” the Associated Press noted.
Women’s rights are also an area of concern in Qatar. They are legally under male guardianship that requires permission from a father or other family member to exercise basic rights that range from marriage, international travel, and working in a government job. Women were required to obtain a male guardian’s permission to obtain a driver’s license until 2020, The Athletic reported.
The Daily Wire previously reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino responded to concerns by criticizing Europe, saying that it should be “apologizing for the next 3,000 years,” ahead of the World Cup’s opening game.
Infantino shared the strong remarks during a press conference on Saturday when he said that criticism of Qatar was hypocritical.
“I think for what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3,000 years around the world we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people,” he said.
Another controversy arose as the U.S. men’s national soccer team (USMNT) redesigned its crest displayed at its World Cup practice facility with rainbow colors to show support for LGBTQ people. When the team takes the field, however, they will be wearing the traditional crest with red, white, and blue stripes on their uniforms.
“I think that when we are on the world stage it is important to bring awareness to these issues and that’s what being the change is about,” USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter stated. “It’s not just stateside that we want to bring attention to those issues. It’s also abroad.”
“And we recognize that Qatar has made strides, there has been a ton of progress,” he added. “But there’s still some work to do.”
The World Cup is being held from November 20 to December 18. A total of 32 teams play in eight groups of four leading to the round of 16, quarter finals, the semi-finals, and the final on December 18.