Qatar

Following the suspension of two FIFA executive committeemembers for accepting bribes, the world’s governing football organization onDecember 2 announced that Russia and Qatar will host the World Cup (WC) in 2018and 2022 respectively. While Russia — with England — was a favorite from the start,Qatar came as a total surprise. Especially in the West, commentators ask: whyorganize such a major tournament in such a tiny country that is blessed withsummer temperatures soaring up to 50 degrees, has no football tradition tospeak of, and which most people are unable to locate on a world map? While this is a legitimate question, it seems thetraditional football power-houses may have underestimated the strength of theQatar bid, as well as FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s wish for the WC to betterreflect the game’s global appeal. In the past, the organization of the world’sbiggest sporting event more or less routinely changed hands between Europe andSouth America.