FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted it was a mistake to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup due to scorching temperatures in the Middle East country. But Blatter quickly said everyone “makes a lot of mistakes in life” as if it is a proper excuse.
“Of course, it was a mistake. You know, one comes across a lot of mistakes in life,” Blatter told a Swiss journalist. “The Qatar technical report indicated clearly that it is too hot in summer, but the executive committee with quite a big majority decided all the same that the tournament would be in Qatar.”
It does not take a scientist, soccer fan or someone with a major interest in weather to know the desert in summer is very hot and not very good for humans, especially ones taking part in a physical activity. A quick Google search of “Qatar climate” shows that summer days occasionally reach 50C, which is 122F! The average high in June and July is 41C/106F. These temperatures are dangerous for the soccer players, but also for the soccer fans in the stadium.
To make matters worse, Blatter also admitted the tournament might be moved to the European winter, which could cause major disruptions. FIFA’s vice president Jim Boyce agreed with him: “I absolutely agree the tournament needs to be staged in favourable conditions but I await the report from stakeholders which will go to the executive committee.”
So why would anyone agree to host a World Cup in Qatar? MONEY.
In March, Telegraph Sport revealed that former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner and his family were paid millions by a company owned by the former Fifa executive committee member for Qatar.
Further disclosures revealed that the daughter of a former executive committee member had more than £2 million put into her account, and a senior Fifa official’s son was given a job at a private Qatari hospital shortly after the decision to award the country the World Cup.