Despite high temperatures and desertification, FIFA awarded Qatar the right to host the 2022 World Cup Finals.
Despite our huffing and puffing to blow out its scorching world cup bid, Qatar has won the bid to host the 2022 finals. FIFA announced this afternoon in Zurich that the small Middle Eastern country – the first to hold a world cup final – won despite proposals from the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.
Critics are concerned that unlike Russia, which won the 2018 bid, Qatar’s high summertime temperatures and humidity will be an important impediment. But the country has plans to build several sophisticated, solar-powered and carbon neutral stadiums that will maintain a comfortable environment for both players and spectators.
The win is a major boon for Qatar, which has taken huge strides to improve the quality of life for its citizens as part of its Vision 2030 plan. However, plagued by desertification and deeply reliant on desalination for its water, (which is energy intensive and destructive to the Persian Gulf’s marine environment), such an enormous construction project could exact a serious environmental price.
Others note that with its own soccer team ranked at only 95 and a population of less than two million, a dozen new stadiums will go to waste or create an expensive and unnecessary maintenance nightmare such as occurred in South Africa.
Even so, as Qatar will be the first Middle Eastern country to host a world cup finals, we have to admit, it’s kind of exciting.
:: Telegraph
Please visit these sites for more information about Qatar’s 2022 bid:
This may turn out to be the only completely air conditioned Mondial. It’s just too hot there otherwise – especially in 2022!
The people of Middle east are crazy about Soccer. I am very happy for Qatar and the rest of the region. We need good news coming from that part of the world. I hope this inspires the youth of indulge in sports rather than violence.
Also very disappointed with some of the comments here. The people living in Qatar may have a different lifestyle than us, but they deserve this as much as any other nation. Also an event like this will help the liberal forces in the middle east and will be a defeat for extremist.
Great. Awesome stadiums too http://bit.ly/i2gbsN
Some die hard football fans say there’s some corruption behind this… it’s good a Middle Eastern country won, but it’s not going to be very comfortable and as one friend of mine said, Qatar doesn’t exactly have the most stellar sporting pedigree!
Personally, I’m not a big fan of pomp and circumstance. And it’s hard for me to condone money like this being spent when people are dying… but hey – I’m not a football player!
Its very good that Qatar has won. They can build the infrastructure and demonstrate that its not only nation size but money and determination that helps