The FIFA World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world. In 2022, Qatar will have its moment in the sun, literally, by hosting the tournament. With temperatures exceeding 50C (122F) in the summer months and a population below 1.6 million, Qatar has its work cut out for it.
Qatar says it won the 2022 FIFA World Cup through an effective marketing campaign where it claimed hosting the tournament would bring a unified peace to the Middle East. They also promised to donate their stadiums to less fortunate countries following the tournament. To defend against weather concerns, Qatar advocates pointed out that previous FIFA World Cups in Mexico and the United States had endured similar temperatures and prevailed. They are also developing a machine that will artificially create cloud coverage.
Critics postulate that perhaps it was actually Qatar's titanic investment in its FIFA World Cup campaign that assured victory. To put their investment into perspective: Qatar spent over US$43 million on their campaign's communications alone; Australia, the second highest spender, spent just over US$44 million on their entire campaign. However, despite Qatar's heavy investment in its World Cup campaign being frowned upon, it appears to have worked.
There were also controversial allegations that Qatar's victory was assured even before the votes had been cast. Theo Zwanziger, a new member of the FIFA executive committee, has accused Qatar of exercising its political influence to win the bid. Zwanziger says several members of his committee were bullied by their own governments to vote for Qatar to receive political rewards in return (i.e., cheaper natural gas).
Despite tensions and accusations coming to a head with the announcement of Qatar as the winner of the FIFA World Cup, their situation is nothing out of the ordinary. FIFA World Cups are notorious for scandals and controversies. As much as the tournament is about friendship and sharing, it is foremost an arena of fierce competition. So we should congratulate Qatar instead of pointing fingers at them, since they have already bested the world without even hitting the pitch.
