A majority of World Cup fans support FIFA in compensating foreign workers amid human rights violations during the run-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, according to an opinion poll released Thursday by Amnesty International.

The gas-rich Gulf state, which will host the first World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world from November 20 to December 18, has been repeatedly criticized for the working conditions of its foreign workers.

Amnesty International said in a statement that more than 17,000 adults from 15 countries took part in the YouGov survey, mostly from Europe, but also from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Morocco and Kenya.

According to released data, 73 percent of respondents said they “strongly support” or “tend to support” the use by an international football organization of a portion of the proceeds from the 2022 FIFA World Cup to compensate migrant workers.

Among those who indicated that they could watch at least one match, 84 percent supported the proposal.

“There is still plenty of time for FIFA to do the right thing,” Steve Cockburn of the human rights group said in a statement, urging FIFA to “prepare a reform agenda…before the competition.”

“Supporters don’t want the World Cup to be marred by unforgettable human rights abuses,” Cockburn added.

In response, FIFA said it had taken note of the survey, but warned that “respondents may not be fully aware of the measures that FIFA and its partners have taken in Qatar in recent years to protect workers participating in the FIFA World Cup.”

“The workers received various forms of compensation because the companies did not comply with the Workers’ Welfare Standards,” the federation said in a statement.

He added: “FIFA will continue its efforts to resolve the issues of workers who may have been affected in connection with work related to the World Cup.”

Doha claims it has made significant improvements in recent years, including imposing a minimum wage and relaxing many aspects of the sponsorship system, which gave employers powers over workers’ rights to change jobs and even leave the country.

In an interview with the French magazine Le Point, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said he was proud of the measures taken by his country to protect workers.

“We knew we were having problems working on construction sites and took drastic action in record time,” he explained in only his third interview since taking the throne in 2013.

The Emir of Qatar added: “We have changed the law and are punishing anyone who mistreats a worker. We have opened our doors to NGOs and cooperate with them. We are proud of it.”