English FA chairman Greg Clarke pictured after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in Doha last week with his Qatar FA counterpart ©FA

England's Football Association will raise human rights abuses and homophobia issues with the Qatar FA after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the controversial hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The deal has raised concerns given the treatment of Qatar's migrant workers and the fact that homosexuality is illegal in the country.

But the FA hopes it can "positively influence football in Qatar" and engage on wider social issues.

Qatar controversially won the right in December 2010 to host the 2022 World Cup.

The FA's then chairman Greg Dyke called it "the worst moment in FIFA's history" following allegations of corruption, which were dismissed by a FIFA report in 2014.

Preparations for the showpiece, due for the first time to take place in the winter, have also been overshadowed by issues surrounding migrant workers' rights.

In November 2017, however, the International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency, said reforms agreed by the country meant two million workers now enjoyed better protection, including a minimum wage and the right to leave the country without their employers' permission.

Workers helping build the stadiums in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup now enjoy better protection following worldwide protests but there remain fears they still face many dangers ©Getty Images
Workers helping build the stadiums in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup now enjoy better protection following worldwide protests but there remain fears they still face many dangers ©Getty Images

But following the deal between the FA and its Qatari counterpart, which will see the countries share ideas on football issues and potentially play friendly matches, Amnesty International urged the FA to speak out about the risks faced by migrant workers.

Fabien Goa, Amnesty International's special advisor for labour rights and sporting events, said: "Deeper ties between the FA and Qatar 2022 means even greater responsibility on the FA to speak out about the severe human rights risks faced by the migrant workers delivering the tournament.

"Qatar has recently made commitments over reforming its abusive migrant labour system, and now the FA must play its part in making sure Qatar delivers on its promises."

Stonewall, the group that campaigns for the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) also reported it had been assured the FA would be "committed to taking steps to promote LGBT equality in sport in Britain and abroad".

The knowledge-sharing deal, signed by current FA chairman Greg Clarke in the Qatari capital Doha, in company with his counterpart at the Qatar FA chief Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani.

Clarke is reportedly embarking on a worldwide tour of other FIFA member countries in an attempt to build bridges ahead of England's proposed bid to host the World Cup in 2030.

The UEFA President, Aleksander Čeferin, recently promised that European football’s governing body would back any bid made my England, who last hosted the tournament in 1966, when they beat West Germany 4-2 in the final.