Sepp Blatter Proves 2022 World Cup Should Never Have Gone to Qatar

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 19, 2013

commentComment        

In December 2010, when FIFA was voting to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, I had the feeling the 2022 tournament would be held in the United States.

After all, the 1994 World Cup is still holds the record for highest attendance for a World Cup, and the tournament has grown from 24 to 32 teams since then.

Sporting Kansas City held a watch party for the announcement at a restaurant on the Country Club Plaza. Several of the bigwigs for the local stadium bid, including then-Mayor Mark Funkhouser, were in attendance.

The screams after the announcement were unexpectedly shrill, with more than a few expletives flying about the room. I remember if only because at least one of them came from me.

The rumblings of the World Cup having been bought by oil money have mostly subsided now, but Joseph "Sepp" Blatter is coming to realize that he made the bed and now he is going to have to lay in it.

The main reason most of us were surprised Qatar had been chosen was obvious. The average temperature in Doha, Qatar in June/July, according to the World Meteorological Organization, is 41C (106F). It also has an average annual rainfall of 75.2mm. That works out to just under three inches. I understand it's the desert, but that's not an easy sell for tourists, even rabid soccer fans.

Fast forward to Wednesday, when Blatter said there was still time to move the 2022 World Cup to be played in the winter.

According to the BBC, Blatter said, "You can cool down the stadiums, but you can't cool down the whole country and you can't simply cool down the ambiance of a World Cup."

In a country like Qatar, heatstroke would be a huge problem for spectators simply walking around outside the venues, which would have to be air-conditioned. According to the BBC, "Heatstroke - which can occur at any temperature over 40C - requires professional medical help and, if not treated immediately, chances of survival ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!