Let me start off by saying this will be an extremely poorly written blog with a lot of frustration and disappointment.
With that being said, FIFA announced today the 2022 World Cup will be heading to Qatar. I don't know anything in regards to Qatar, I hadn't even heard of Qatar until yesterday during the Bid presentations. What I do know is it is extremely hot, and they don't have any soccer stadiums. That's right, they DO NOT HAVE SOCCER STADIUMS? Isn't that an issue to host the WORLD CUP? That's like holding the swimming competitions on a dry lake bed, you just can't do it! Have no fear though, they have announced they will build new stadiums, and after the World Cup, they will tear them down and pay for them to be rebuilt in other countries....well isn't that nice, I guess in 2023 we'll know exactly who voted for who today.
Another fun fact about Qatar, the average temperature in the Summer is between 122 and 128 degrees. Have you tried to play a sport in 122 degree weather? I haven't, and no I'm not a world class soccer player by any stretch of the imagination, but that's not something I would want to do. I can't wait to see the FIFA officials wearing suits to the games in that weather, going to be great.
Also, back in October, it was discovered there were some shady talks going around some of FIFA's committee members. Some were basically trading votes with each other, I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine kinda thing. I bet you can't guess who was in the middle of it. That's right QATAR! As in one member of the committee was secretly filmed saying Qatar and Spain-Portugal had come to terms to give each other 7 votes in the voting. (Spain-Portugal was up for the 2018 World Cup)
I guess today we found out that FIFA doesn't really care about the potential growth of the game and the economic growth it could have gained from having the World Cup in the United States. When the US hosted the World Cup in '94 it set attendance records, with a total of 3.6 Million fans attending games and averaging 69,000 per game. Can you imagine what sponsors would have paid to get their name in front of all those people? Not just on tv, but in the stadiums themselves. Stadiums that WE ALREADY HAVE! There wouldn't be any new construction needed for soccer stadiums, we have them, they are already some of the best in the world.
I think I'm done. The only country that I believe would have been worse to give it to would have been North Korea, but that's another post.
Thank you FIFA for confirming all the scandals and rumors, you have done nothing but make the world second guess you once again. Can we Challenge that vote or have it reviewed?
Ps. my mom has pointed out that Qatar will be hosting the 2011 Asian Cup, I would like to point out the Asian Cup and the World Cup require two different types of Stadiums. For the Asian Cup, you only need camel tie-ups, but for the World Cup you will need actual seats.
