Qatar has been chosen to host the 2022 World Cup. The middle Eastern nation beat out the United States among others for the bid.
My early take on this decision? FIFA can't be serious can it? Qatar was favored for some time by bookmakers and it's clear they knew something. The USA bid for 2022 was the most viable and made the most sense, but FIFA voters went with the highest risk bid.
It's thoroughly devastating news for American soccer because a 2022 World Cup in the United States would have meant a tremendous boost for the game in this country. Perhaps it is even tougher to take considering Qatar seemed like the weakest of the bids.
What do you think of the news? Devastated? Going to boycott 2022? Getting your sun screen ready?
Share your thoughts below.
ditto!! and we smash them!
Qatar is a bad choice because 1)it is really small geographically; 2)the population is tiny;, 3)it has no world profile in soccer; 4)it has nothing built yet; 5)it’s unbelievably hot; 6)it is not representative of the Middle East, especially in soccer–I actually anticipate no appreciable improvement in the game in other Arab countries outside of the gulf. Someone explain to me how Egypt or Syria or Lebanon or Jordan benefit from a tournament thousands of miles away.
It is NOT a bad choice because of terrorism or Islam or gender politics. It is NOT a bad choice because it is in the Middle East. I have quite a few (American) friends in Doha who really like it. It’s a safe country. Most people in the Middle East love soccer and like Americans (but hate our politics). Criticize for material reasons, but not because you buy all the rhetoric about Islam or Arabs. Be bigger than that.
Australia and England can forget about bidding again as long as the majority of the 22/24 are in place 😉
How the heck did Japan and Qatar both lose a vote between rounds 1 and 2… its not like there is a debate…
In Soviet Russia, you screw refs!
It’s like you’re really trying your hardest to epic fail at political AND sporting knowledge.
(as if freaking fifa and the olympic committee are representative of the world at large anyway)
blame CONCACAF for that BS.
JACK WARNER STRIKES AGAIN!
Absolutely ridiculous! Qatar! Are you kidding me? Of the top of my head I can think of a bunch of reasons, I will have zero interest in going.
1. Heat
It can be upwards of 130F in Summer
Even if the “Stadiums” are air conditioned the country is not.
2. Play
And for those in other countries who continually complain about the summer temps in the US affecting the attractiveness of play, I give you US summer times 2.
3. Security
As someone from the West i can really see going there with my family and providing some extremist Islamic group with some soft targets.
4. Islamic Law / Dictatorial Regime
Wow do I really want to be subject to a set of rules and state institutions that have no bearing on the 21st century.
5. Party On – Not
The World Cup is meant to be a celebration. Tell that to Women that have no vote, can’t drive and must be covered; Persons with alternate lifestyle choices; the hundreds of thousands of foreign workers that are treated like chattel; Israelis and Jews in general; and anyone looking for some decent brew.
Oil Money in baskets obviously talks.
Well, I for one will cross off the 2022 WC as anything I’m going to be interested in.
From wikipedia:
“On February 24, 2010, Qatar and Iran signed a defense co-operation agreement in which the two countries stressed the need to expand their defense cooperation.”
“March 10, 2010. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani has given his support to Iran’s right to nuclear technology…”
And of course not 7 months later the same man was found blubbering in happiness in front of millions on international televison as he was congratulated by Sepp Blatter for their successful bid for the 2022 World Cup.
Stay classy FIFA
uhhh… try Jordan, UAE, Lebanon, and Egypt.
This will sharpen the teeth of the US and UK press.
FIFA is going to be dismantled when the bodies are uncovered.
Sepp’s ongoing orgy will end with him in Swiss prison.
oh my gosh, you’re right…the lack of a drinking culture there will make this World Cup even s###ier than I thought! Not to mention no spilling into the streets outside the stadium after your team wins to party. Everyone will spill outside…to run to the nearest air conditioned indoor location. lame.
I think this is yet another reason for us to develop clean and green energy. Let’s stop bowing down to these tiny middle eastern, misogynistic countries. This is all about big oil money, most of which, the USA has given to the middle east b/c we are addicted to oil.
This is ridiculous. This hurts the sport so badly in our country. And, it comes just as MLS and the sport are starting to take off. Anyone who watched any of the USA games at a pub for the last world cup knows what I mean.
I’m so upset.
I pushed my anger aside, and read FIFA’s review of the Qatar bid. There are some pros to awarding Qatar the World Cup:
1)Qatar will dismantle their new stadiums after the final and build 22 stadiums in impoverished nations around the globe. This is a great humanitarian effort that is unparalleled.
2)It is the first World Cup in the Middle East. Blatter wants a legacy.
3)Qatar has the money to build unbelievable stadiums that will shock the world. (One stadium’s exterior is entirely covered by a tv screen).
Although these are great, I still believe money led to them winning the bid. The average temperature AT NIGHT is 94 C. How can you have a World Cup when players are having heat strokes? Just look at the American swimmer who died while swimming in the Indian Ocean heat.
What is Qatar going to do with all of these expensive stadiums after they host the World Cup? There will be no use for them. I don’t even understand why they bid. The only benefit of a World Cup there is so people that travel there would be like, “Wow this Middle East thing aint too bad.” Meanwhile, it could and will most likely go in the complete other direction.
I’ve also seen people mentioning that if Qatar fails to meet the needs of FIFA in order to host the World Cup, that the USA could be used as a plan B. My problem with that, is that there was a HUGE benefit of winning the bid 12 years ahead of time. I feel like the country has really gained steam as a soccer nation, and having the World Cup locked down for home soil, 12 years in advance, would have helped the USA produce a mass of talent.
On a side note, would you feel bad if the USA was caught bribing, and still got to host the World Cup?
GREAT Post!
it cant be in china. qatar is included within the asian federation. which means 2026 can’t be another asian country.
Qatar is a big natural gas exporter which has made a bundle off the “green” sensation. This fact really shows the weakness of this bid because nat gas is pretty volatile in price which could have a big impact on the financial viability of their “high risk” bid.
and other haters are too stupid to realize that a sport invented and codified among American universities isn’t Canadian.
Okay, let’s start fixing this right now. I propose the International Football Association (IFA) let’s have the headquarters in… Miami. Now let’s start electing some people who actually know what they’re doing and get cracking on an alternate World Cup stat!
The US was awarded the WC 94 in 1988. At that time we had no league, and our national team failed to qualify since 1950.
Look at us now…
i really hope this means the MLS stays with a summer schedule. there are too many stadiums in MLS where regular season games in october, november and march just don’t make sense.
For the record, the Europe thing really isn’t what you’ve been told it is.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/investing/debunking-the-two-biggest-lies-about-the-eu-bailout-plan/19472472/
not that it is topical here.
Interesting to see the voting. It looks like FIFA knew who they wanted from the start.
2018:
First round – England 2, Holland/Belgium 4, Spain/Portugal 7 votes, Russia 9 votes
Second round – Holland/Belgium 2, Spain/Portugal 7, Russia 13
2022:
First round: Australia 1, Japan 3, USA 3, South Korea 4, Qatar 11 (Australia eliminated)
Second round: Japan 2 votes, Korea Republic 5 votes, Qatar 10 votes and USA 5 votes (Japan eliminated)
Third round: Korea Republic 5 votes, Qatar 11 votes, USA 6 votes (Korea Republic eliminated)
Fourth round: Qatar 14 votes and USA 8 votes (Qatar obtained an absolute majority)
follow the donuts people!!!….psst.. >George Soros
There have been some calls for boycotting FIFA or starting a rival organization, and while I agree with the sentiment, the simplest, most effective change?
Force FIFA to reveal their votes. The member nations can vote on rule changes, and we can stop anonymous voters from Vanuatu selling their votes and having disproportionate power.
Sunil, time to get on it. Good luck convincing Jack Warner, though.
I love the James Bond film idea… With that being said, I think an Austin Powers film would be a much better medium as I think there is so much room for comedy here.
The Us is completely broke, trillions in debt, and the immoral printing of more money and the bailing out of more bankrupt corporations without accountability will only make things worse. Having said that Qatar s***s!!!
I know Wikipedia isn’t the most trustworthy source, but I just read Qatar has “sponsorship laws”, which is sort of like modern day slavery. Is this true? Maybe that’s how they’ll put a good team on the field.
For all those who thinks we should leave FIFA and form a break away group I surely hope you are just reacting out of anger because that would set us back as our national team will lose out on all of our meaningful games from the youth WC, to the Gold Cup, Womens Tourneys to the WCQ and even our clubs would not be recognized to be in the World Club Cup. Soccer in the US soccer would essentially be dead.
I mean, s**t, how do we even know the votes were counter, or did Sepp just have Qatar already pre-printed on the card?
They have a team?
To all the youth players, coaches and parents, please start training and playing matches in the Mojave Desert in order to be fit for the 2022 World Cup. I think FIFA needs to be drug tested or have their bank accounts checked. How many top footballers want to play in 110-130 degree heat in the Middle East, in the middle of summer, after a full season? Also, how many fans, mainly from Europe and the USA, will want to travel to the Middle East, where security is a concern? Russia is a fine choice for 2018 but Qatar?
Bla, Bla, Bla! keep it!
I hope, too, that the media, most likely British media go after this story and find out who the votes were. No reason it needs to be secret.
I’m all for relegation in U.S. soccer, but it’ll never happen.
In the latest rankings Qatar is rated 113th. The effing 113th place team is going to get a guaranteed spot? I understand that this could change dramatically in 12 years, but who is to say that they don’t get worse! Who is going to travel Qatar!? They have proven that the sport and the competition are the last things on their mind with this pick.
Boycott the 2022 WC; why stop there? Boycott FIFA!!!! Boycott every company who sponsors anything that FIFA is in control of!
Why do we allow these crooks the authority to destroy the integrity of OUR World Cup?
Unless Freeman and Clinton brought a forklift of cash with them, it didn’t matter if they said they would host the most profitable and successful WC in history.
(Oh wait, they did say that.)
No, NO, NO,,, It really is time to BOYCOTT FIFA! FIFA has always given the USNT a hard time, this call doesn’t surprise me. The MLS is growing & developing in so many ways! For them not to acknowledge the US game is (in my opioion) a slap in the face to US soccer! Maybe setting up our own tourney during FIFA games should make a clear statement… It’s not like USNT has ever been favored by FIFA anyway. Take your balls and shove it up your FIFA…lol
How came wikileaks did not air this crap?
and the most boring…after SA!
“But hey, whereas a Cup hosted by the US would generated Billions in revenue for FIFA and football in general through huge ticket sale, sponsorship and endorsements, A CUP hosted by Qatar would generate Millions to the crooked FIFA board members who will no doubt benefit through the quid-pro-quo…”
One of the best comments on the board.
OK. First of all congrats to the countries that won. To the FIFA executive committee, I hope Panorama exposes you gents for what you are. To the USSF & MLS, we will not change our seasonal schedules or ever consider relegation!
you radical hippie your absolutely crazy!…. haha seriously if only
haha ya.. that got the shaft
Its ok bud! In 5 years or so you can travel the US and watch soccer in our Soccer Specific Stadiums and enjoy REAL AMERICAN SOCCER ATMOSPHERE across 15 or so American cities with your family!
I feel sorry for Ives and the other press etc. that will have to attend this.. devastating news.. but lets not forget we can and will still win on the field!
Not sure if anybody saw the bid presentations but after watching ours, I was thoroughly embarrassed. Sunil turned into Ross Perot with his charts, Bill Clinton forgot he was there for a soccer presentation, and Morgan Freeman doesn’t know how to number his pages (granted he was by far the best of the 3). It really was an amateur show. Meanwhile, Qatar did everything right. The threw every buzz word into their stadium design (zero carbon footprint, solar powered, dismantled and sent to developing nations, etc). They used emotion, emphasized weaknesses as strengths, etc. Basic stuff.
The US, England, Spain, Japan, Holland, and Portugal should all drop out of FIFA and start their own organization/Tournament. Like UEFA. A non-FIFA type WC could and would be more popular than the FIFA WC> Hold it in major cities, not small countries of Qatar. I would like to envision the FIFA WC becoming like the NIT tournament in college basketball – fully surpased by the more recent NCAA March Madness tourney. Let FIFA play it’s WC in backwater small countries. Larger “stages” are available to play on
I’m not that shocked at all. . . Bill Archer called this one months ago, and it didn’t seem that far fetched then.
Maybe more journos will make an effort to contribute to the betterment of the sport that provides them a living, instead of just pretending all is well in the world of soccer and hamming it up.
/resume cognitive dissonance
Australia’s main weaknesses are the timezone and the distance to Western Europe. These two factors cut into the money generated by fans and tv sponsors and affect FIFA’s bottom line.
DJ..
You are completely wrong..this is 1000% a political decision. If it was about money, USA is the clear choice. The 1994 WC was the most profitable well attended WC.. Period..