The streets of Doha are quieter now that the Qatar World Cup is in the knockout stage. At the same time, the debate around human rights in the Middle East is dying down

As the 2022 FIFA World Cup enters its knockout rounds, a subdued atmosphere in Doha increasingly mirrors the waning public debate around geopolitical issues—particularly Qatar’s poor human rights record—that received significant attention in the runup to the World Cup and during the tournament’s first two weeks.