OT: Still Time to Drop Qatar & Bring the 2022 World Cup to America
We must beware catching a whiff of politics here, but a number of Middle Eastern nations have suddenly severed ties with 2022 World Cup host Qatar, allegedly over ties with Iran. Were there to be serious international political issues, FIFA would have an excuse to do something they should have done anyway, stripping Qatar of the World Cup and returning the event to its proper summer position.
And the logical place to hold that World Cup is the US. Yeah, there's a joint US-Canada-Mexico bid out there for 2026, but why wait? And, no offense to my family in Canada or our passionate friends in Mexico, why bother crossing borders? The US doesn't need to build or modify a single stadium or update a single piece of infrastructure to host the event. We have, by far, the biggest collection of appropriate stadiums in the world. It's not even close. FIFA need only ask which cities it wants to be in.
Because of our infrastructure situation, they really can pull the trigger any time up to the year before. However, doing it now will allow Qatar to avoid investing in pointless stadiums they don't deserve anyway. Move the World Cup.
^^^ Not sure if serious.
This is so overblown as something that would take 10 years to do.
Pick a nation like the USA for example that already has the stadiums built. There are plenty of other countries that are in the same boat which can support the Cup. Tell Qatar to get bent. Coordinate the efforts. You think that will take five years??
I think it's too complicated to switch both location AND soccer federations. Since 2022 is already an Asian Football Confederation world cup, it'd make more sense to leave it there. China has at least 12 Stadiums with over 50,000 capacity. And fairly new ones due to the 2008 Olympics.
Austrailia would also be a good location imo. Since June-July is Austrailias winter, the temps won't be out of hand. Yeah, their 12th largest stadium is only 26,500, but that would be fine enough for a last minute switch.
IMO the USA should continue to only persue 2026, even if it is a joint bid. The USA is getting a vast majority of those games, including all of the elimination round games (or was that all of the quarters, semis, and final?). Plus it will be the first WC with 48 teams. So that WC needs more support than the 2022 one.
IIRC, FIFA requires a uniform playing surface across all venues which 99% of the time means REAL natural grass.
That rules Jerry World and a few other notable venues out unless some temporary fix can be made (which has been done before).
Can build a billion upon billion dollar stadium, he can throw some natural grass down there if they had to.
for the men. If memory serves, the women's World Cup didn't get the same courtesy at other stadiums when it was their turn in 2015 (LINK). Snicker. No, seriously, that sucks.
Yep, they trucked the sod in and out.
That field was eventually taken to Belle Isle and installed for sports use. I think there's still a sign where it is.
...the hexagonal tiles in the parking lot after the games were over, and after Pink Floyd's Division Bell concert one of them ended up in the back of my truck and was planted in my parents back yard.
Ah, high school.
Impossible to avoid politics on this issue . . . there is no way that FIFA, a predominately European-lead organization is going to award the World Cup to the US as long as Donald Trump is president. They despise him.
That's just the way it is right now, like it or not.
FIFA is not a bunch of clean-hands, upright, progressive Swedes, even after the farcical "housecleaning" a couple years back. FIFA adores strongmen comfortable with graft, self-dealing, kickbacks, hookers, under-the-table payments, and running goverment like a family business. It's much the same as why Saudis love Trump: they see a kindred spirit.
The reason FIFA won't come to the US is because our prosecutors are (or at least were) forcing them to clean up their act (remember this? https://www.wsj.com/articles/six-soccer-officials-arrested-in-fifa-corr…). They may actually feel much more comfortable with the current administration, which seems a bit less interested in the internal machinations of cartels.
That said, I hope we stay out of that, the Olympics, and any other money burns associated with disgraceful organizations like FIFA and IOC.
we made it pretty far into the thread before you decided to go there so maybe its you that finds it impossible to avoid bringing up trump.
As neither a Trump voter nor a Clinton voter, I'm just making an inescapable observation. I don't have a dog in the hunt.
FIFA won't give it to the UK either.
Honestly, though, our pulling out of the Paris Accord gives other nations an excuse to not give us international competitions. We're like North Carolina and their bathroom law now. Nobody is going to be rushing to give us stuff, and that's just the facts, no politics necessary.
Exactly.
It's a valid observation.
And now it's everyone but the US, Syria, and Nicaragua--who hasn't signed because they feel the Paris Accord isn't strong enough.
Rare warming air we're in.
The first stadium opened recently and Amnesty International had this to say.
“It’s a year since Amnesty International exposed the exploitation of migrant workers who helped to build the Khalifa Stadium, but abuses on Qatar 2022 sites have continued,” said James Lynch, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Global Issues Programme.
“Qatar’s World Cup organizers have placed special requirements on contractors that are supposed to stop this happening, but the reality is that workers on their sites still live under Qatar’s repressive sponsorship system, which gives employers powerful tools to abuse them.
“With hundreds of thousands more people being recruited to build and service at least seven more World Cup stadiums, along with the infrastructure to support the tournament, many more migrant workers are at serious risk over the next five years.”
Let's take it away from them too. And go back-to-back World Cups in the U.S.!
Qatar WC is a joke. Things like this are what put FIFA up there with the NCAA and the IOC on the corruption scale.
One note SRJK: You point out that the US has the best infrastructure, including stadiums, and that nothing would have to be built. True, of course, but I don't think FIFA sees that as a positive. They _like_ to have opportunities to build. I think that they view that as a (probably corrupt) source of revenue for them.
Imagine what it will be like in Watar. A Munich-type diaster is just waiting to happen.
There is no good reason for the World Cup to be there.
I think the problem with Qatar is that there is no watar. It's a desert.
(I know that was a typo. W is right next to Q on the keyboard, but that was too good to pass up.)
I'll pass
Yes - infrastructure is a huge plus and makes it incredibly easy for us to host. Between MLS stadiums and college and pro football stadiums there are probably close to 50 venues that could easily host the games (thats not including MLB ballparks because it will be in-season).
But, it will also be good for local economies because people come from all over to support their country. It'll be a great experience and bring in good extra $ to places that may not have cash flows in June/July.
Brazil , a soccer-obsessed culture, was beyond excited for the World Cup. But they were even more turned off and disgusted by the rampant corruption and incompetence that came along with the country's hosting. It would be nice if we could take a stand against corruption and send a message to FIFA and the world that this won't be tolerated (although I don't know if we're in the position to do that anymore).
But overall, yes I say its a good thing.
All I have to say about this is 'fuck yeah'. '94 was the bomb and may have been the happiest I've ever been in my whole life. Let's do it again!