The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup that will be hosted in Qatar from November and December 2022. It will be the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world. In May 2011, FIFA officials were accused of being corrupt during the bidding process, and the event raised questions. Some believed that Qatar got the World Cup through bribes from Mohammed bin Hammam who was the Asian Federation Confederation president. Qatar denied all of the rumors. In May 2014, Sepp Blatter admitted that giving the FIFA World Cup to Qatar was a mistake because of the extreme heat.[1]
On 12 April 2018, CONMEBOL requested that FIFA expand the 2022 FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, four years before the 2026 FIFA World Cup as initially planned.[2][3]FIFA PresidentGianni Infantino expressed willingness to consider the request.[4] However, the FIFA congress rejected the request shortly before the beginning of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Infantino said the global football governing body would not discuss the possibility of having a 48-team World Cup, and that they would first discuss the matter with the host country.[5]
In March 2019, a "FIFA feasibility study" concluded that it was possible to expand the tournament to 48 teams, albeit with the assistance of "one or more" neighbouring countries and "two to four additional venues." FIFA also said that "while it cannot rule out legal action from losing bidders by changing the format [of the tournament], the study said it 'concluded that the risk was low.'" FIFA and Qatar would have explored possible joint proposals to submit to the FIFA Council and the FIFA Congress later in June. Had a joint proposal been submitted, FIFA's member associations would have voted on the final decision at the 69th FIFA Congress in Paris, France by 5 June.[6][7] However, on 22 May, FIFA announced it would not expand the tournament.[8]
On 12 April 2018, CONMEBOL requested that FIFA expand the 2022 FIFA World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, four years before the 2026 FIFA World Cup as initially planned.[2][3]FIFA PresidentGianni Infantino expressed willingness to consider the request.[4] However, the FIFA congress rejected the request shortly before the beginning of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Infantino said the global football governing body would not discuss the possibility of having a 48-team World Cup, and that they would first discuss the matter with the host country.[5]
In March 2019, a "FIFA feasibility study" concluded that it was possible to expand the tournament to 48 teams, albeit with the assistance of "one or more" neighbouring countries and "two to four additional venues." FIFA also said that "while it cannot rule out legal action from losing bidders by changing the format [of the tournament], the study said it 'concluded that the risk was low.'" FIFA and Qatar would have explored possible joint proposals to submit to the FIFA Council and the FIFA Congress later in June. Had a joint proposal been submitted, FIFA's member associations would have voted on the final decision at the 69th FIFA Congress in Paris, France by 5 June.[6][7] However, on 22 May, FIFA announced it would not expand the tournament.[8]
FIFA's six continental confederations organise their own qualifying competitions. All FIFA member associations, of which there are currently 211, are eligible to enter qualification. Qatar, as hosts, qualified automatically for the tournament. However, the AFC obliged Qatar to participate in the Asian qualifying stage as the first two rounds also act as qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[9] If the Qataris reach the final stage as winners in their group or as one of the four best runners-up, the fifth-best team will advance instead.[10] The reigning World Cup championsFrance will also go through qualifying stages as normal.[11]Saint Lucia initially entered qualification but withdrew from it before their first match. North Korea withdrew from the qualifying round due to fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The allocation of slots for each confederation was discussed by the FIFA Executive Committee on 30 May 2015 in Zürich after the FIFA Congress.[12] The committee decided that the allocations in 2006, which remained unchanged for 2010, 2014, and 2018, would continue for the 2022 tournament:[13]
A qualifying draw was scheduled to take place in July 2019; this was later cancelled to allow each confederation to hold their own draws for their individual qualifying tournaments.[14] The first qualifying matches were played in June 2019 in the Asian qualifying tournament, with Mongolia defeating Brunei 2–0 on 6 June, in which Mongolian player Norjmoogiin Tsedenbal scored the first goal of qualifying.[15]
On 9 December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency handed Russia a four-year ban from all major sporting events, after RUSADA was found non-compliant for handing over manipulating lab data to investigators.[16] However, the Russia national team could still enter qualification, as the ban only applies to the final tournament to decide the world champions. If Russia were to qualify, Russian footballers could still potentially compete at the tournament, pending a decision from FIFA. However, a team representing Russia, which uses the Russian flag and anthem, cannot participate under the WADA decision.[17] The decision was appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[18] and on 17 December 2020, Russian teams were banned from competing at world championships organized or sanctioned by a WADA signatory until 16 December 2022.[19]
Leading football clubs in Europe wanted the World Cup to take place from 28 April to 29 May rather than the typical June and July staging, due to concerns about the heat.[20]
The first five proposed venues for the World Cup were unveiled at the beginning of March 2010. The country intends for the stadiums to reflect the historical and cultural aspects of Qatar, and each stadium aims to incorporate four priorities: "legacy", comfort, accessibility and sustainability.[21] Qatar aims to build the stadiums with the highest sustainability and environmental standards. The stadiums will be equipped with cooling systems that are environmentally friendly overcoming the challenging environmental nature of the country and aim to reduce temperatures within the stadium by up to 20 °C (36 °F), but it is not yet known if this will actually work in the open-air stadiums. Their apparent goal is to build Zero Waste stadiums using environmentally friendly materials, harmless equipment, and ecologically sustainable solutions through the implementation of renewable and low energy solutions; and the upper tiers of the stadiums will be disassembled after the World Cup and donated to countries with less developed sports infrastructure.[22][23] Qatar aspires to be compliant and certified by the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) for all the world cup stadiums. All of the five stadium projects launched have been designed by German architect Albert Speer & Partners.[24] The Al Bayt Stadium will be the only indoor stadium of the eight used.[source?]
A report released on 9 December 2010 quoted FIFA President Sepp Blatter as stating that other nations could host some matches during the World Cup. However, no specific countries were named in the report.[25] Blatter added that any such decision must be taken by Qatar first and then endorsed by FIFA's executive committee.[26]Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan told the Australian Associated Press that holding games in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and possibly Saudi Arabia would help to incorporate the people of the region during the tournament.[27]
According to a report released in April 2013 by Merrill Lynch, the investment banking division of Bank of America, the organisers in Qatar have requested FIFA to approve a smaller number of stadiums due to the growing costs.[28]Bloomberg.com said that Qatar wishes to cut the number of venues to eight or nine from the twelve originally planned.[29]
Although as of April 2017, FIFA had yet to finalise the number of stadiums Qatar must have ready in five years' time, Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said it expected there would be eight in and near Doha (with the exception of Al Khor).[30][31]
In January 2019, Infantino said that FIFA was exploring the possibility of having neighbouring countries host matches during the tournament, in order to reduce political tensions.[32]
The final draw is scheduled to take place in April 2022.[40]
The match schedule was confirmed by FIFA on 15 July 2020.[41] The opening match, featuring the hosts Qatar, will be played on 21 November 2022, 13:00 local time (UTC+3), at the Al Bayt Stadium. During the group stage, four matches will be played on each day, with kick-off times being 13:00, 16:00, 19:00 and 22:00 for the first two rounds, and 18:00 and 22:00 for the simultaneous kick-offs of the last round and for knockout stage matches. The third place match will be played on 17 December 2022 at the Khalifa International Stadium, and the final will be played on 18 December 2022 at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, both at 18:00.[42]
Unlike previous tournaments where the match venues and kick-off times for each fixture are set prior to the draw, the assignment of group fixtures for each matchday to a specific venue and kick-off time will only be made after the group stage draw, which will be held after the March 2022 international match window, and the teams of each specific fixture are known. This is possible due to the close proximity of the venues which will allow the organizers to optimize stadium allocation for spectators and kick-off times for television audience.[41] The group stage matches for each group will be allocated to the following stadiums:[42]
The official emblem was unveiled on 3 September 2019 during simultaneous events at the Doha Tower, Katara Cultural Village Amphitheatre, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and Zubarah. It is designed to resemble the tournament trophy, the infinity symbol, and the number "8", reflecting upon the "interconnected" event and the eight host stadiums. It also evokes imagery of shawls to signify the tournament's winter scheduling, and contains waves resembling desert dunes. The typography of the emblem's wordmark incorporates kashida—the practice of elongating certain parts of characters in Arabic script to provide typographical emphasis.
A number of groups and media outlets have expressed concern over the suitability of Qatar to host the event, with regard to interpretations of human rights, particularly worker conditions and the rights of fans in the LGBT community because of the illegality of homosexuality in Qatar. Hassan Abdulla al Thawadi, chief executive of the country's 2022 World Cup bid, said that Qatar would also permit alcohol consumption during the event, even though drinking in public is not permitted, as the country's legal system is based on Sharia.
The selection of Qatar as the host country has been controversial; FIFA officials were accused of corruption and allowing Qatar to "buy" the World Cup, the treatment of construction workers was called into question by human rights groups, and the high costs needed to make the plans a reality were criticised. The climate conditions caused some to call hosting the tournament in Qatar infeasible, with initial plans for air-conditioned stadiums giving way to a potential date switch from summer to winter.
In May 2014, Sepp Blatter, who was FIFA president at the time of the selection but later banned for illegal payments, remarked that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was a "mistake" because of the extreme heat. However, while addressing delegates from African and Asian confederations, Blatter said allegations of corruption and some of the criticism, including those from sponsors, were "very much linked to racism and discrimination".
The issue of migrant workers' rights has also attracted attention, with an investigation by The Guardian newspaper claiming that many workers are denied food and water, have their identity papers taken away from them, and that they are not paid on time or at all, making some of them in effect slaves. The Guardian has estimated that up to 4,000 workers may die due to lax safety and other causes by the time the competition is held. These claims are based upon the fact that 522 Nepalese workers and over 700 Indian workers have died since 2010, when Qatar's bid as World Cup's host was won, about 250 Indian workers dying each year. Given that there are half a million Indian workers in Qatar, the Indian government says that is quite a normal number of deaths.
In 2015, a crew of four journalists from the BBC were arrested and held for two days after they attempted to report on the condition of workers in the country. The reporters had been invited to visit the country as guests of the Government of Qatar.
The Wall Street Journal reported in June 2015 the International Trade Union Confederation's claim that over 1,200 workers had died while working on infrastructure and real-estate projects related to the World Cup, and the Qatar Government's counter-claim that none had. The BBC later reported that this often-cited figure of 1,200 workers having died in World Cup construction in Qatar between 2011 and 2013 is not correct, and that the 1,200 number is instead representing deaths from all Indians and Nepalese working in Qatar, not just of those workers involved in the preparation for the World Cup, and not just of construction workers. Most Qatar nationals avoid doing manual work or low-skilled jobs; additionally, they are given preference at the workplace. Michael van Praag, president of the Royal Dutch Football Association, requested the FIFA Executive Committee to pressure Qatar over those allegations to ensure better workers' conditions. He also stated that a new vote on the attribution of the World Cup to Qatar would have to take place if the corruption allegations were to be proved.
In March 2016, Amnesty International accused Qatar of using forced labour and forcing the employees to live in poor conditions and withholding their wages and passports. It accused FIFA of failing to stop the stadium being built on "human right abuses". Migrant workers told Amnesty about verbal abuse and threats they received after complaining about not being paid for up to several months. Nepali workers were even denied leave to visit their family after the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
In October 2017, the International Trade Union Confederation said that Qatar has signed an agreement to improve the situation of more than 2 million migrant workers in the country. According to the ITUC, the agreement provided for establishing substantial reforms in labour system, including ending the Al-Kafala system. The ITUC also stated that the agreement would positively affect the general situation of workers, especially of those who work on the 2022 FIFA World Cup infrastructure projects. The workers will no longer need their employer's permission to leave the country or change their jobs.
In February 2019, Amnesty International questioned whether they would be able to complete the promised labour reforms before the start of the World Cup, a sentiment that was backed by FIFA. Amnesty International found that abuses were still occurring despite the nation taking some steps to improve labour rights.
In May 2019, an investigation by the UK's Daily Mirror newspaper discovered some of the 28,000 workers on the stadiums are being paid 750 Qatari Riyal per month, which is equivalent to £190 per month or 99 pence an hour for a typical 48-hour week.
The Dutch company Hendriks Graszoden refused to supply Qatar with World Cup turf having been the supplier for the 2006 edition and the European Championships in 2008 and 2016. According to company spokesperson Gerdien Vloet one reason for this decision was the accusations of human rights abuses.
In April 2020, the government of Qatar provided $824 million to pay the wages of migrant workers in quarantine or undergoing treatment for COVID-19.
In August 2020, the Qatari government announced a monthly minimum wage for all workers of 1,000 riyals (US$275), an increase from the previous temporary minimum wage of 750 riyals a month. The new laws went into effect in March 2021. The International Labour Organization said "Qatar is the first country in the region to introduce a non-discriminatory minimum wage, which is a part of a series of historical reforms of the country's labour laws," while the campaign group Migrant Rights said the new minimum wage was too low to meet migrant workers' need with Qatar's high cost of living. In addition, employers are obligated to pay 300 riyals for food and 500 riyals for accommodation, if they do not provide employees with these directly. The No Objection Certificate was removed so that employees can change jobs without consent of the current employer. A Minimum Wage Committee was also formed to check on the implementation.
Owing to the climate in Qatar, concerns were expressed over holding the World Cup in its traditional timeframe of June and July. In October 2013, a task force was commissioned to consider alternative dates and report after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. On 24 February 2015, the FIFA Task Force proposed that the tournament be played from late November to late December 2022, to avoid the summer heat between May and September and also avoid clashing with the 2022 Winter Olympics in February and Ramadan in April.
The notion of staging the tournament in November is controversial since it would interfere with the regular season schedules of some domestic leagues around the world. Commentators have noted the clash with the WesternChristmas season is likely to cause disruption, whilst there is concern about how short the tournament is intended to be. FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger said that awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar's desert state was a "blatant mistake". Frank Lowy, chairman of Football Federation Australia, said that if the 2022 World Cup were moved to November and thus upset the schedule of the A-League, they would seek compensation from FIFA. Richard Scudamore, chief executive of the Premier League, stated that they would consider legal action against FIFA because a move would interfere with the Premier League's popular Christmas and New Year fixture programme. On 19 March 2015, FIFA sources confirmed that the 2022 World Cup final would be played on 18 December.
Qatar has faced growing pressure over its hosting of the World Cup in relation to allegations over the role of former top football official Mohammed bin Hammam played in securing the bid. A former employee of the Qatar bid team alleged[year needed] that several African officials were paid $1.5 million by Qatar. She retracted her claims, but later said that she was coerced to do so by Qatari bid officials. In March 2014, it was discovered that disgraced former CONCACAF president Jack Warner and his family were paid almost $2 million from a firm linked to Qatar's successful campaign. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating Warner and his alleged links to the Qatari bid.
Five of FIFA's six primary sponsors, Sony, Adidas, Visa, Hyundai, and Coca-Cola, have called upon FIFA to investigate the claims. The Sunday Times published bribery allegations based on a leak of millions of secret documents. Jim Boyce, Vice President of FIFA, has gone on record stating he would support a re-vote to find a new host if the corruption allegations are proven. FIFA completed a lengthy investigation into these allegations and a report cleared Qatar of any wrongdoing. Despite the claims, the Qataris insist that the corruption allegations are being driven by envy and mistrust while Sepp Blatter said it is fueled by racism in the British media.
In the 2015 FIFA corruption case, Swiss officials, operating under information from the United States Department of Justice, arrested many senior FIFA officials in Zurich, Switzerland. They also seized physical and electronic records from FIFA's main headquarters. The arrests continued in the United States, where several FIFA officers were arrested and FIFA buildings raided. The arrests were made on the information of at least a $150 million (USD) corruption and bribery scandal.
On 7 June 2015, Phaedra Almajid, the former media officer for the Qatar bid team, claimed that the allegations would result in Qatar not hosting the World Cup. In an interview published on the same day, Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee, stated that "should there be evidence that the awards to Qatar and Russia came only because of bought votes, then the awards could be cancelled."
On 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region and supporting terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Mauritania, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt in a letter asked FIFA to replace Qatar as World Cup Host, calling the country as a "base of terrorism". In October 2017, Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Head of Dubai Security for the UAE, wrote about the Qatar diplomatic crisis; saying the blockade on the country will end if it surrenders the FIFA World Cup. The message appeared to imply that the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar was only enacted due to Qatar hosting the world's biggest football event.
↑"Football and Sustainability in the Desert, Qatar 2022 Green World Cup's Stadiums: Legal Perspective". European Journal of Social Sciences: 475–493. SSRN3096185.
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