World Cup News from World Cup Buzz » Qatar

Winter Wonder World Cup?

Sebastian Shepard — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 08:25:13 +0000

Very shortly after the controversial decision (in the English-speaking world, at least) to award Qatar the right to host the 2022 World Cup, FIFA’s human face Sepp Blatter announced he would support a winter World Cup. Whether this is likely to happen can be only conjecture at the moment, as the tournament is a solid 11 years away.

Yet Sepp isn’t the only one behind the change: so is the players’ union. Unlike Mr. Blatter, the players’ union listed their reasons for wanting the World Cup in winter quite trenchantly: “It is not sensible to award a World Cup in the summer to a country with an average temperature of 41C in June and July, a midday temperature of 50C and above all, extremely high humidity.”

Of course, FIFA knew all of this going into the vote, so what does this very sudden change (or at least, the indication that FIFA is open to the change), less than a month after the voting, mean?

Perhaps FIFA did not expect the reaction it received, and wanted to go for another feel-good World Cup story, another “first World Cup” story to excite an entire region. And, after South Africa showed to the world that going to a rumored backup plan (Germany again, same stadia, reliable hosts and all those other Teutonic stereotypes, etc.) was not necessary, perhaps FIFA thought it would do some more doom-and-gloom dispelling by way of having a World Cup in the Middle East.

If we can read this potential about-face as FIFA admitting to an error in planning, then we can probably confirm that FIFA was a little stunned by the reaction. Why? Mainly because this change of dates is as close as FIFA ever comes to admitting fault. A change of location would be an outright humiliation to both FIFA and Qatar, but this winter World Cup proposal strikes me as a rare compromise. A way of FIFA saying to the paying football fans, “We recognize that you like to be outside during daylight hours in the summer. Sorry. We know you don’t want to worry about getting heatstroke when you’re on vacation. We’ll try and sort this out with minimal embarrassment to all parties involved.”

That’s not to say that I love the idea of the winter World Cup. I recognize that it would effectively split the 2021-22 competitions (the domestic leagues and cups, the Champions League, etc.) in half, giving the whole season a very uneven feeling. Additionally, it would lengthen the already long domestic campaign, and would surely return many players back to Europe with some pretty bad injuries. There is plenty to dislike, especially from the perspectives of the top clubs.

But I also recognize the importance of the World Cup. Assuming that Qatar will be the host nation, I cannot see a summer event being superior to a winter one. Personally I would not like to spend an extended period of time in a country where one must be indoors, heavily treated by airconditioning during all hours of the day. I doubt other fans will be more excited about traveling to Qatar in the summer than they would be in the winter. And this is just considering the fans; imagine, as Sepp Blatter has us do, the footballers who are expected to run and entertain for 90+ minutes.

In the winter the temperatures will be more suitable for natural outdoor activity, and the Qatari government will not have to air-condition all the locations in the country that will be used by footballers/tourists from the possible 50 degrees to the Qatari government’s proposed 27 degrees.

Ignoring the heat, the proposed stadia look wonderful (in the promotional videos, for some reason they’re quite keen to let you know that, as a fan, you can arrive by water taxi). The hosts seem eager to comply with FIFA, who are continuously on the lookout for compliant nations to host the spectacle.

So what’s not to like? In a vacuum, the idea of the winter tournament in Qatar is just better than one in the summer. But we are not in a vacuum, and the European season will be cut in half. No doubt the clubs will fight the date change very strongly for this exact reason. But if the choice is between a botched domestic and European campaign, and a thoroughly air-conditioned World Cup, I prefer to the former simply because the World Cup is the more prestigious competition.

Qatar 2022: An Insight into a Misunderstood Nation

Mark McAllister — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:48:06 +0000

The news that Qatar has won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup appears to have been met with widespread cynicism and criticism by The West; from the allegations of bribery and corruption to concerns over the tiny Arab state’s strict laws, extreme heat, and lack of football heritage. Whilst there are clear concerns that need to be addressed, this is a rather simplistic view of what should in fact be a genuinely intriguing occasion.

The successful bid has been supported and fronted by some of football’s biggest names, so it should come as no surprise that they have emerged victorious. Zinedine Zidane has featured in a television advert for Qatar 2022, which has been shown regularly all over the world. Some of the other ambassadors for the Qatari bid include Pep Guardiola, Ronald De Boer and Sami Al-Jaber, whilst many other famous faces have appeared in Doha recently to show their support – Sir Alex Ferguson, for example. Regardless of their motives, these superstars have helped introduce a much-needed sense of glamour and accessibility to Qatar, and have helped transform the bid into a far more realistic proposition. Recent friendly matches have demonstrated that they’re already more than capable of putting on an impressive show. Brazil have played matches against England and Argentina over the last year, and the Khalifa International Stadium has been a more than worthy venue for these high profile games, with its luxurious executive seating areas and a huge arch over the eastern section of the ground, which can be used as a platform to launch fireworks from.

Qatar in general has undergone significant social changes in recent years, meaning many visitors’ concerns can largely be put to rest. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly for the typical football supporter, Qatar is not an alcohol-free state. Whilst it is true that drunken behaviour in public can get you into a spot of bother, it is perfectly legal to consume alcohol in private and at your hotel bar. There will also be specifically-created fan zones in the various regions of Qatar during the tournament, in which alcohol can both be bought and consumed freely. This one action is a clear example of the compromises the government are willing to make for the World Cup, and they don’t stop there. Israel, should they qualify, will be granted entry, as will members of the Jewish faith in general. The dress code has become far more relaxed in recent years, regardless of the World Cup. For example, it is perfectly acceptable to wear short sleeves and shorts now, whilst women will be under absolutely no pressure to wear burqas or any other form of head-dress. In the relative privacy of hotel swimming pools, swimwear is also perfectly acceptable. Kissing in public should not be a problem, and homosexuals will not be arrested on site. Rest assured, the Qataris will be desperate to avoid controversy whilst it is attracting the attention of the whole world.

The heat will clearly provide a significant stumbling block, but it is not a problem that has been ignored. Temperatures are likely to reach the mid-high 40s in June and July, but the bid team claim they will have technology available to ensure temperatures inside the stadiums will never exceed 26 degrees Celsius. This technology is supposedly entirely green, as solar panels will be used to convert sunrays into the electricity they require to cool the stadiums. Any excess energy created will be transported back to the power grid for future use. The explanation of the technology, itself, may not excite you hugely, but the actual output will come as a tremendous relief to all concerned. Without it, the World Cup almost certainly wouldn’t be heading to Qatar. A criticism of several world cups in the past has been that the heat has all but ruined many of the matches, but ironically, it seems that one of the hottest ever host nations will provide some of the most comfortable playing conditions.

I will allow you to look at the planned stadiums in the video (skip to 3.25 to avoid the generic tourism imagery) at the top for yourselves rather than tediously describe every last detail, but they undoubtedly look impressive, and many of them will be extremely relevant to the region too with the references to the dhow boats and the seashell right beside the Arabian Gulf. This is a key advantage of hosting the tournament in a country like Qatar – the architects effectively have a blank slate to work with, which in many ways is more exciting and can lead to more diverse opportunities than world cups in more established football-playing nations.

There is no great football history or heritage in Qatar – in fact, the most their football team has ever achieved is two Gulf Cup wins on home soil. This is a source of attraction for FIFA though, as they are intent on bringing the World Cup to new regions and cultures in order to create a permanent legacy all over the globe, and Qatar 2022 will surely be a World Cup like absolutely no other before it.

The concern at the news of Qatar hosting the world cup is not at all surprising, but that is exactly why they have already started to work so hard towards creating a positive image of the oil and gas-rich state. For several years now, they have been attracting big names in sport; through the domestic football league, motorsport and tennis. Now they have the icing on the cake, having finally secured the biggest competition in sport. There will, of course, be challenges; they will have to find a way to deal with legions of drunk, rowdy half naked football supporters, and they will have to come up with ways to ensure the comfort of fans in the heat outside of the stadiums. Just like the U.A.E. though, Qatar is a hugely ambitious state and simply will not allow itself to deliver a poor world cup.

Now we just have to wait for 11 and a half years to see it…

Immediate Thoughts On Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022

Sebastian Shepard — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:26:55 +0000

A few hours after FIFA’s announcement that Russia will host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup, most people I’ve talked to share the same two feelings — expectation and surprise.

Since Russia had already been considered a strong contender before the BBC’s Panorama program severely damaged England’s bid, their victory announcement was not preceded by much suspense. The world’s largest nation by area and one of the top ten nations in terms of population, Russia has a very good (and improving) national team; the same is true for its domestic league. Moreover, there is ambition for real success on both fronts.

Like South Africa, Russia has undergone a sort of renaissance to emerge on the world stage again, although under vastly different circumstances. For these reasons, along with the fact that it hasn’t hosted before and will be eager to showcase a “New Russian Federation” (like South Africa), the nod to Russia makes sense.

The Qatari victory, on the other hand, was truly shocking, and not just because it is one of the smallest nations on the planet, both by area and by population, but for the support it had in the voting. In the first round, it received 11 votes. One more would have sent it through. The second round it received 10. In the third it received 11 again. Finally, in the fourth round, one on one against the United States’ bid, it received 14. While getting to the 12-vote majority took longer for Qatar than it did for Russia (2 rounds), its continuous receiving of double digit numbers made it always look likely to win.

In another similarity to South Africa 2010, Qatar seems destined to be branded “the Middle East’s World Cup” (just like South Africa was “Africa’s World Cup”). The ruler of Qatar said, “On behalf of millions of people living in the Middle East, thank you. Thank you for believing in us, thank you for having such bold vision. Thank you also for acknowledging this is the right time for the Middle East. We have a date with history which is summer 2022.”

He’s not so much focusing on Qatar as he is on the entire region, probably to give the tournament a broader appeal than the tiny nation in which it will be held.

Now that the two countries have been decided, the criticism of FIFA can begin (not that it ever really stops, but events like these really provide the fodder). Most people instantly focus on Qatar for this criticism, singling out the fact that it has been ruled by a single family for over a century, that homosexuality is outlawed, that foreigners require permits to drink, that freedom of the press doesn’t really exist, etc. It’s national team is also ranked 113th in the world. The new tradition for hosts might be getting knocked out in the first round of the finals tournament.

Most people though, focus on the shockingly hot summers that a desert country has. Of course, Qatari officials have stated that the heat will not be a problem. As my friend wryly noted though, “you can’t air condition an entire country.” Even if the temperature in the stadiums becomes bearable, during non-match times, there is still the problem that staying indoors to avoid the heat during a trip does not strike most people as an ideal summer holiday.

These might not be the factors that FIFA considers when its executives cast votes. As it has been suggested before, Russia and Qatar are attractive to FIFA simply because they will be the most likely to bend to FIFA’s will. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen.

Were the countries chosen, Qatar especially, the best bids? I’m not so sure. I think Russia will do a great job, and as for Qatar, I honestly cannot say. The World Cup is never a bad time, so to speak, and FIFA is not so insane that they will ban alcohol (their sponsors would surely object) or anything else that will alienate potentially paying fans. It’s just that sometimes, one has to question how well FIFA thinks the whole process through.

Analysis of Bids for 2018 World Cup – Part II

George Metellus — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:28:15 +0000

Let’s begin Part II of our analysis of bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup with a surprise entrant whose deep pockets could sneak in and win the right to host a World Cup.

QATAR

The oil-rich nation with plentiful natural gas reserves would become the 1st Arab nation to host a World Cup. According to the CIA World Factbook, Qatar has the highest per capita income in the world so the money to build new stadiums and renovate current stadiums to FIFA standards is there. In the capital of Doha, there is a revolutionary underground stadium scheduled to be complete in 2010. The plans are the coolest for a stadium ever seen, imagine WC Matches played there. WOW!. The question is will they have enough clout in FIFA to win the vote?

Outlook: A longshot but undoubtedly the most intriguing of the bidding nations. 2022 is their best bet.

RUSSIA

The world’s largest country placed its bid knowing that the sheer size of the country presents big infrastructure problems. Russia is much like England in that Moscow has a ton of stadiums like London does. Russia’s stadiums would need upgrade and organizers would have to keep the matches west of the Ural Mountains to avoid Siberia & the time zones. Earlier talk of the English FA backing Russia’s Euro 2016 in exchange for Russia dropping its 2018 WC bid is dead.

Outlook: Worthy of consideration but won’t get 2018 or 2022.

Bids from Asia & Europe have been made and now let’s take a look at the 2 CONCACAF nations that could host the tournament.

MEXICO

History could be on the side of Mexico when it comes to their bid at becoming the only nation to host 3 World Cups. 1970 WC was Pele’s last and 1986 WC was the Maradona Show, that might not mean as much as the new stadiums being built by Mexican league teams. Chivas, Monterrey, Santos, Cruz Azul are among the clubs building new stadiums. 1994 was the last time a CONCACAF nation hosted a World Cup, 2018 may be the year to bring it back.

Outlook: Major contender, #2 contender of nations outside of Europe. Previous magical World Cups favor Mexico.

UNITED STATES

The host of the 1994 World Cup has been the land of booming stadiums since Brazil defeated Italy on PKs in the final. It seems like every team in a major sport in the States has a new stadium or arena. There are no real weaknesses other than not having much clout amongst the FIFA Executive Committee. Suggestion: Play the final at FedEx Field its the largest stadium in the NFL (90K+ capacity), its close to D.C. (the U.S. capital), and the Rose Bowl is played out as the centerpiece stadium of sports in the U.S. Also, the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

Outlook: Fierce contender, #1 contender of nations outside of Europe, slight edge over Mexico because of the quality of the infrastructure and the stadiums.

Well there it is. Let’s us know what you think about the nations mentioned and if you can think of any other nations worthy of consideration. We are aware that China & Japan are in the mix so let’s see what happens with their bids. Despite their history, a China/Japan joint bid would be interesting. Tell us what you think.