soccer

Qatar now says it is open to winter World Cup in 2022

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Who is going to travel there to see these games... what are people doing to do when not at the matches.. guaranteed that half of the events will be half full stadiums... it is ridiculous that the World Cup will not be back in the US for over 30 years.. a generation and a half.. it also could have been hosted in a Japan/Korea/China golden triangle. Corruption knows only money and greed.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Rules...rules....rules. Talk of legal challenges, expenses, damages, etc.,

Why not just consider the FIFA ownership of the cup, its statutes and it's schedule as 'guidelines', then the schedule could be altered without these expensive legal measures and resulting acrimony?

But the bottom line, FIFA (Sepp Blatter Inc.,) 'sold' the World Cup to Qatar, for a not inconsiderable sum of money, above and below the table, and they'll just have to live with the consequences of their action.

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@Kimokekahuna The 1994 World Cup was one of the worst I can remember. A pretty uninterested public even before the US were eliminated and some games kicking off in the Texas midday sun. I'm all in favour of the World Cup being moved around the world - Japan and Korea was generally a success ( apart from the refereeing in Korea ), South Africa was generally a success ( apart from those bloody awful vuvazelas ). However, it should be held in countries which have a genuine love of the game, have a climate suitable for good football and be a country where all fans can go and enjoy a party atmosphere. Qatar does not tick the boxes.

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@Jimizo: US 1994 holds the record for public attendance. It is considered a success and a model for World Cup hosts. USA deserves to have it again. Japan and Korea too.

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It is of course a ridiculous concept to have the WC in Qatar, but that is the reality.... the Middle Eastern Sheikdoms have the oil, they have the money, and they can get what they want from us.

On the positive side, it will be an interesting experience for assorted Western hooligans to deal with the Shariah police...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

^WilliB: it's not ridiculous, as Qatar has enough resources, money, to make up for the heat. Truly ridiculous is to give the World Cup to problematic nations that are notorious for mismanagement. In this case, Brazil, that has not the money and the tradition of organizing events. Qatar also may not have the tradition, but has the money to acquire it.

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The World Cup shouldn't just be about cash. The formation of the J-League and the 2002 World Cup legacy saw football rival baseball ( some say overtake it in terms of popularity for the young ) in Japan and now they have the best national team in Japan's history. As for 1994, it attracted large crowds mostly due to the fact that the stadiums were larger ( although in some cases not suitable for football ) - demand for tickets is a much more reliable indicator of popular support and the US has a population much larger than any other country which has staged the finals. I think the general apathy was best illustrated when the draw for the groups was held at 11am to hit European, not American, peak viewing hours. It seemed most Americans weren't glued to their sets and there was hardly an outcry from the football mad US population. Can we say the 1994 World Cup left a lasting legacy in the US? I remember one grumpy Scotsman telling me it's easier to watch televised bowling than a football match on US tv. With Qatar, the idea of dismantling the stadiums after use is a mockery of the idea of legacy in terms of facilities. This is all about cash, and the fans will be sold short.

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Granted, the US public was mostly uninterested in the '94 WC. However, in the years since then soccer(football) has become an increasingly more popular sport in America. It is the 2nd most popular sport between ages 12 and 24. If the World Cup were held there now I think it would be very popular due to its youthful fan base, and the relative success of recent American national teams.

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guaranteed that half of the events will be half full stadiums

Every World Cup country sells out every game even games featuring weak teams.

I will definitely be there with my kid or kids. We shall see in 9 years. I'll take my 5 year old to Russia too for that World Cup.

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