Can you say rigged? Qatar gets 2022

December 2nd, 2010

by Eric Slack

Qatar? Really? The Freakin’ Idiotic Football Association, or FIFA, just awarded the 2022 World Cup to a country that is smaller than the state of Connecticut and has average daily temperatures of between 100 and 115 degrees from May to July. Not only that, they gave it to a country that has never qualified for a World Cup – not once.

I suppose it is necessary to admit that FIFA took a chance on the USA when it awarded us the 1994 edition of the tournament. At the time of that decision in 1988, we hadn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1950, had no national league, and no tradition for popular support of the sport. The sport is very popular in Qatar—that cannot be denied.

But the other thing that cannot be denied is that this was not a logical up or down vote where each bid was seriously considered on its own merits, its true strengths and weaknesses. I don’t need to have a front row seat into the happenings of the FIFA executive committee to know that this decision was based on the greasing of palms and backroom deals that are going to make some people more stinking rich than they already are.

Think about this for a second: in every area where it should count – stadium infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, likely attendance, security capabilities, potential for advertising dollars — the US trumps Qatar hands down. It isn’t the only country that bid for the 2022 event that does, either – Australia, Japan, or Korea all would have been wiser choices. But, no, FIFA wants to go to a place where the major infrastructure has to be built and many people will think twice about going. And do you want the job of ensuring security in what is sure to remain an unstable region?

Instead, FIFA chose to believe that an entire country of slightly more than 4,400 square miles (again, smaller than Connecticut) can be air conditioned for a month. A country that already has the highest per-capita carbon dioxide emissions thanks to high rates of energy use is going to expend more energy to build and cool stadiums so there isn’t a rash of heat stroke on the pitch before the eyes of the entire world.

To top it off, their national team is likely to be a first rounder like South Africa was this year. I’m sure the Sheiks will spend as much money as possible on developing their current youth player crops and trying to convince some foreigners to emigrate, but the Qatari soccer team is a joke. How much of a joke, you say? So much so that the USA should beat them every time they play, and we all know how much we still consider our own national team to be a joke.

Seriously, look at Qatar’s international highlights. Having never qualified for the World Cup, the best we can do is look at FIFA U20 and U17 World Cups and the Olympics. For the love of God, they’ve never even qualified for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and their country is a DESERT STATE. Their best international moments have been a second-place finish at the 1981 U20 World Cup, a fourth-place finish at the 1991 U17 tournament and quarterfinal appearances at the 1987 U16 tournament, the 1999 U17 tournament, and the 1992 Olympics. Lichtenstein they ain’t, but this is one country that the US has actually outdone in terms of footballing achievements.

Although I know Russia getting the 2018 World Cup was probably bought and sold as well, it doesn’t anger me as much because, well, it is a world power in every sense of the term and it is much easier to make an argument in favor of that selection. Had Australia been awarded 2022, I would be disappointed – but I’d think a good decision was made, and probably start making my travel plans now. I’m sorry, but I don’t care how much money or oil Qatar has. There is no way that it is in the least bit deserving of hosting a FIFA World Cup, not without shenanigans that would make Thierry Henry’s arm blush.