It didn't take long after Qatar was awarded this year's World Cup in 2010 for controversy to follow - but as the event neared, calls for boycotts and human rights activism spiked on Twitter, according to a study conducted by Montclair State University.

Since being awarded hosting rights, conservative Muslim nation Qatar has faced criticism for its treatment of low-paid migrant workers as well as its criminalization of homosexuality.

According to a study summary:

“Qatar’s systematic abuse of labor (reportedly more than 6,500 migrant workers have died while supporting infrastructure and construction for the tournament) and the country’s blatant discrimination against women and LGBTQ+ people have led to online movements to boycott the tournament, some cities to ban public viewing events and teams to activate anti-discrimination campaigns on and away from the pitch.”

The study sampled 22,000 tweets where the #boycottqatar2022 hashtag was analyzed from Oct. 15 through Nov. 14. with 18,412,437 potential impressions reaching more than 43 million people.

“The vast majority (92%) of those tweeting about the boycott demonstrated support of the boycott and human rights activism,” the study shows.

The full results can be found here.

Qatar, home to 3 million people, most of them migrant workers, has spent more than $200 billion on preparation for the World Cup. Seven new stadiums were built, including the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium north of Doha.