8 reasons why giving Qatar the 2022 World Cup was a mistake

FIFA PresidentSepp Blatter admitted that it was a big mistakeletting Qatar host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Although Blatter himself wanted the USA to host it, he was always defiant about Qatars chance of hosting it despite mounting evidence suggesting otherwise.Here are 8 reasons why Qatar hosting the World Cup could be a disaster

#1 FIFA\'s internal evaluation concluded that giving Qatar the World Cup was a huge mistake

In 2010, FIFA had done assesments of each country that was bidding for the 2022 World Cup before the Executive Comittee memebers voted. Operational risks such as stadium construction, transportation and accomodations were part of this report.

In 8 of the 9 categories assessed by FIFA, Qatar was rated as medium or high risk whereas USA rated low risk in 8 of the 9 categories

#2 None of the stadiums have been built

Qatar now has to build 9 stadiums from scratch. Added to this, they have to build 32 different training complexes for each team as well as player and fan accomodations at suitable locations.

They are also planning to expand 3 currently existing stadiums. As we saw from the Sochi Olympics, building infrastructure for an entire sporting event in a few years has loads of drawbacks.

The city that is to host the final, Lusail City, doesn’t exist yet.

#3 Winter World Cup

It is common knowledge that you cannot play football at 120° F. This means that the World Cup will have to be held in Winter right in the middle of all the big European leagues and FIFA has to re-negotiate all TV rights.

Not to mention that all the leagues will have to be rescheduled which is likely to infuriate everyone from the leagues and TV rights holders.

FIFA are set to take a vote in 2015 to decide whether the tournament should be moved to the winter.

#4 Qatar is too small to build that many stadiums

Qatar originally planned to build 9 high quality stadiums in a 25km radius! This is what we call a waste.

These stadiums are probably going to be used for two weeks in total!

The estimated cost of building these stadiums and other infrastructure for the World Cup is estimated to be $220 billion.

#5 It\'s a Human Rights disaster

Qatar has a labour system for immigrants called Kafala which human rights watchers equate to modern day slavery. In this system, workers are owned by their companies and cannot leave unless their owners give them an exit visa.

In some cases workers’ passports are held by their companies so that they don’t leave. Many of these workers live in abhorrent conditions that are provided by their companies. Essentially it is forced labour and was in place before FIFA voted on the host nation.

Reports suggest that atleast 1000 migrant workers from Nepal and India have died in 2012 and 2013 in Qatar. Voting members from FIFA knew that the Kafala system would be used to build the necessary infrastructure.

#6 The stadium cooling technology that Qatar promised does not exist

During their bid Qatar announced a plan to build stadiums with solar-powered cooling technology that would reduce the temperature inside the stadiums so that the World Cup could be held in the summer.

These plans were scrapped after they won the bid after the architecture firm that is resposible for building the stadiums said the system was too expensive and unsustainable.

#7 It is the least fan-friendly location

In Qatar, homosexuality is illegal, alcohol is only served in select locations and foreigners need an alcohol permit to purchase alcohol.

It is a crime to be drink or be drunk in public.Not to mention the unbearable heat.

However, officials are saying that alcohol will be served in select “fan zones” during the tournament. All these are factors are likely to keep fans away.

#8 It throws off the World Cup rotation cycle

Qatar being awarded the World Cup means that there wil be a gap of atleast 32 years between North American countries hosting the World Cup.

The World Cup would have been held thrice in Europe and twice in Asia between 1998 and 2022, so even if FIFA award the 2026 World Cup to USA, the gap will remain at 32 years between hosting the World Cup for all North American countries.