The 2022 FIFA World Cup is finally upon us.

We have been made to wait a few extra months than usual for the Qatar festival of football but now everything is in place for what promises to be an electric month of action.

Brazil will go into the tournament as the overwhelming favourites thanks to their incredible squad depth, but Argentina and France will have plenty to say about that before the die is cast.

Off-field controversies bedevil Qatar World Cup

However, while we have no doubt that the on-field action is going to be quite the spectacle, it is hard not to be distracted by all the shenanigans and goings-on happening off of it.

From the moment Qatar was confirmed as hosts all those years ago, the tournament has been dogged by controversy.

From accusations of corruption in order to rig the bidding process, to murky human rights' records and awful news surrounding the construction of the various stadia, Qatar has never been far from the headlines.

DOHA, QATAR - JUNE 23: (EDITORS NOTE: This photograph was taken using a drone) An aerial view of Khalifa Stadium stadium at sunrise on June 22, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. Khalifa Stadium stadium is a host venue of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 starting in November. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

FIFA receive integrity alert over Qatar's warm-up clashes

Now it seems those controversies are transcending pitch-side antics and polluting the game itself with a recent Daily Mail report making some pretty alarming claims.

According to the aforementioned report, FIFA have received an integrity alert with regards to Qatar's warm-up matches after an 'unusually high' number of penalties were awarded during said clashes.

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Per the report, Qatar has played seven games in the lead-up to the biggest tournament of them all with five of those taking place behind closed doors.

Now, FIFA's integrity panel is hard at work trying to unearth relevant data from those clashes with many worried at the lack of information available about the ties.

To take the leap and claim that there may be some deliberate underhandedness involved would be far too premature at this stage and the glut of penalties could be purely coincidental.

World Cup 2022: Group A preview - Qatar, Netherlands, Ecuador & Senegal

However, the fact that FIFA's integrity panel have had to get involved is more than enough to stir feelings of unease on the eve of Qatar's opening game against Ecuador.

Qatar desperate to put on a show

With the eyes of the world upon them, the Qatar authorities will be desperate to put on as good a show as they can to paint their nation in the best possible light.

If the home side starts landing contentious penalties during the tournament, then the powers-that-be may be tempted to look a little closer.