Qatar hosting 2022 World Cup 'ridiculous' - Wales legend Southall
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Neville Southall made 92 appearances for Wales and presented current keeper Wayne Hennessey with an award to mark his 100th cap in March, 2022
Legendary Wales goalkeeper Neville Southall says Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup is "ridiculous".
The ex-Everton star says Russia's example of poor human rights and diversity history proves his point.
Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup and then invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Southall says "there is a good argument to say we can go there and we can try and change it", adding: "Did we change anything in Russia? Doesn't look like, really, does it?"
Since retiring as one of Wales and Everton's most celebrated players, Southall has become a campaigner for a wide variety of social causes.
He believes the decision to award Qatar the sport's biggest tournament lacked transparency and would like to see that addressed in future.
Homosexual acts are illegal in Qatar.
Groups representing gay football fans have asked the Qatar government to "guarantee their safety".
Some Wales fans have said they will boycott the tournament despite their team's qualification.
The World Cup's organisers have replied that "everyone is welcome", but confirmed that Qatar will not relax its laws on homosexuality during the event.
Qatar has also faced allegations from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch about the poor treatment of foreign workers, external who have been building World Cup facilities.
"I think it's going to be odd for the fans because I wouldn't say it's a football kind of place, but somebody, somewhere has made another ridiculous decision - shouldn't have gone there, shouldn't have gone to Russia," he told Radio Wales Sport.
"And I think one of the big questions for me that's come out of the World Cup is the transparency of how you get a World Cup.
"Because surely you should have good human rights; you should have good LGBT stuff; you should have good record on racism; your grassroots should be quite strong."
He added: "If it was more transparent, people would understand the criteria and it doesn't look as if there's much of a criteria at the moment."
But while Southall is unequivocal in his condemnation of the global event going to Qatar, he has urged Wales to "fear" none of their opponents and set out to win the tournament from the off.
"I think you've just got to take care of your own business. Rankings are nothing, are they, know what I mean?," he said.
"You can see that in heavyweight boxing. Somebody can come from nowhere and knock somebody out so I just think you go there, you start off your first game; as long as you don't lose your first game I think it's fine.
"Are England beatable? Of course they are. Are America beatable? Of course they are. Are Iran beatable? Of course they are.
"Is there anyone in there that you'd go 'ah, I tell you what, we've got no chance of beating these?' No.
"So why would we fear anybody. You've got to go in there and say 'this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us, we've got to go and try and win it'.
"Don't think about anything else, just think about winning the tournament and that's all you've got to focus on. Don't worry about anything else.
"And we've got an ace that I don't think anybody else has got and that's Gareth Bale.
"I know he might not be as sharp as he once was, but hopefully he'll be fit to go there, he'll be happy when he goes there and let's see, to win a World Cup he needs probably three minutes of his time.
"It's not asking a lot off Gareth, is it in all fairness. You think about how long it takes to score a goal - for him, he could easily get you to a World Cup final with the other players.
"It'll be nice if Aaron Ramsey stays fit as well.
"I think they've got enough about them having been to the Euros that'll send them in good stead for the World Cup"
He added: "It's good to see Wales in the World Cup, it's great for Pagey [Wales manager Robert Page] and I think he's got a good coaching team around him.
"It's not a flamboyant coaching staff, but it's good down-to-earth, good atmosphere; the lads all look as if they love turning up to play for Wales and I think their spirit has dragged them through several games."
He also hopes to see the nation's women achieve their ambition of going to the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
"When you look at the women, the women seem to have the same atmosphere and the same togetherness so I think it's a good time for Welsh football," said Southall.
"The World Cup's great. It would be fantastic if we could get a double with the women getting there as well.
"I think that would be fantastic. The women's game's growing, the men's game's getting better - we've probably got a lot more players in the Premier League now than we've had for a long time so things are looking really rosy for Wales.
"So I think they should get out of their group and then it's anybody's ball game, isn't it?
"We've probably got a good enough squad to go out there and do well."