World Cup 2022 Running Thread

Qatar already has a great deal of the necessary infrastructure from the 2006 Asian Games.

 

So I guess this means we don't have to care about soccer until at least 2030.

 

FIFA has rules?

 

Sepp Blatter is leaving a legacy. He brought the World Cup to:

- Asia, for the first time
- South Africa, for a major party years after Apartheid (Rugby world cup doesn't have half the cache)
- Russia, 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union
- The Middle East; Qatar has no history to speak of and was always the crappiest team we laughed at on the video game, but they certainly have the money. But with 12 years to plan, they'll put on a great show.

It would be a fascinating story if Israel chooses that particular tournament to qualify for another World Cup, just to see how much hand-wringing there would be from the international press who doesn't understand that Qatar shouldn't be lumped in with some of its neighbors. But of course, people were freaked when Israel nearly qualified for 2006. There will always be talk of security concerns at the World Cup . . .

FIFA really likes to give the World Cup to countries that will have to build multiple stadiums, then have nothing to fill those stadiums when the tournament is over. Maybe Qatar's Erector-set proposal will come to fruition. I get why the U.S. didn't win, but it defies logic that FIFA refuses to award the World Cup to a place that can simply open the doors and host tomorrow.

Anyway, time to start the process for 2026. Hopefully Gulati is replaced by then.

 

Isn't Russia technically in Asia as well? Or do they go by what soccer governing body you belong to?

 

2030 - the next great arrival of soccer in the U.S.

 

You can really be a bore sometimes.

I've never doubted that the local pronunciation was different than our own and has not been changed.

But the pronunciation here in the U.S. -- and as Slate notes among broadcasters -- has been a moving target.

 

Russia, Qatar, China...

FIFA championing human rights since...

 

Both my brothers have worked and lived in Qatar in the last few years. It's routinely 120 degrees-plus there in the summer.

Having the World Cup in Qatar will be like having it in Vegas, in more ways than one.

 

How many venues will be in Asia? Not many. And the part of Russia people care about is in Europe.

 

Must be because of Morgan Freeman.

"I'm sorry, I missed a page."

 

Surprised at all the Qatar bashing. They're one of our staunchest allies in the Gulf, and a huge staging area for us.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/qatar.htm