Why Qatar’s $300 Billion World Cup Is Like No Other
A visitor takes a smartphone photograph pitch side at the Al Thumama football stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Photographer: Christopher Pike/BloombergEver since it won the right to host the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has been a controversial choice. The Persian Gulf country’s scorching climate made it impossible to hold the competition during the usual summer slot, so it was switched to November and December, when national leagues are in full swing. Deprived of their star players, domestic competitions are shutting down for up to six weeks. Investigations continue into how Qatar, a tiny nation of 3 million people with no soccer pedigree, managed to win a secret vote to become host. Human-rights groups have decried the treatment of foreign workers who built the stadiums and accommodation for visiting fans. The government says the event, which kicks off on Sunday, is a catalyst for improving its labor laws.
Since 2010, when soccer’s ruling body FIFA awarded Russia and Qatar the rights to consecutive World Cups, allegations of vote-buying have swirled. Two members of the 24-man FIFA executive committee that chooses the hosts were suspended before the 2010 ballot after being filmed offering their support for cash. An indictment was filed in the US in 2020 that accused several officials of receiving payments to back Qatar’s bid. Their trial is set to begin in a federal court in New York in January. Qatar denies paying anyone for the hosting rights. FIFA said that holding the event in the country was in line with its goal of expanding soccer into new regions.