FIFA silence: Qatar’s wealth overshadowed by scandals at the 2022 World Cup

The World Cup in Qatar is far from over, but it is already being called one of the most scandalous world championships in history. The incomprehensible situation with alcohol and “rainbow support” does not prevent companies from earning on the championship. Expert of the Center for Sports Management of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov Vladimir Ageev in an interview with reminded that no one began to boycott the 2022 World Cup. And this is not surprising, given the record audience.

On November 24, information appeared that FIFA persuaded Qatar to lift the ban on LGBT symbols. But excessive “demonstration of feelings” can still lead to arrest and imprisonment. Qatari laws have a separate article for homosexuality, and local residents will face the most severe punishment for violations.

No less resonance was caused by the ban on selling beer at all stadiums where World Cup matches are held – the decision was announced. The final decision was made with the approval of the international organization. The fans will not be completely without alcohol, but it will not be possible to combine watching the match from the stands and drinking.

“It is clear that when it comes to big and very big money, everyone will be accommodating. Therefore, given that FIFA earns a lot from this tournament, it was recently published that FIFA’s income from the World Cup will amount to $ 7.5 billion, per billion more than at the World Cup in Russia – it is clear that FIFA is ready to make concessions, and, let’s say, turn a blind eye to some requirements that are not typical for other standards of countries where major tournaments are usually held”, Ageev explained.

But this championship is seriously different from previous continental and world championships. To appreciate the gulf between the preparation of Qatar and other host countries, just look at the items of expenditure.

“The total cost of Qatar to organize the tournament is estimated at $220 billion. To make the comparison clear, $13 billion was spent on organizing the World Cup in Russia, which had previously been the most expensive. The Sochi Olympics, which for a long time was considered the most expensive tournament – 60 And the World Cup in Qatar – 220. It is clear that this cost includes not only sports infrastructure. Spending on stadiums is estimated at 6.5 billion. The rest is new cities, new airports, new highways, everything new, rebuilt from scratch. At the same time, such statistics are interesting that it was calculated that all spending on the world championships that were before is equal to the spending that the Qataris spent on this one tournament.”– added the interlocutor.

The most expensive world championship up to this point was the world championship in Brazil, where the hosts tried unsuccessfully to get rid of the title of pentacampeons and get the sixth cup in the collection. And that tournament cost only 15 billion dollars.

In Qatar, hotels, infrastructure, and the subway had to be built. In fact, investments turn the country into one of the main transport hubs of the Persian Gulf.

The money went to cope with the incredible influx of tourists. To accommodate more than a million people, we had to overcome difficulties – we even had to reserve cruise ships for accommodation.

At the sight of a solid jackpot, FIFA prefers to remain silent. Therefore, scandals, although they regularly appear in the press, do not lead to significant opposition from participants and companies.

“Qatar is an Islamic country with rather strict traditions and laws. From the very beginning there were questions about what would happen with the use of alcohol. Beer is a traditional football drink. The same applies to other scandals related to rainbow colors and so on. Despite the fact that “many companies are against it, not a single country, not a single organization has boycotted the championship, everyone continues to sponsor it. The main reason is money. The World Championship is a pearl in terms of TV viewing. It has a record TV audience, the audience can reach 5.5 billion people”, Ageev added.

Why is a football organization able to reconsider its point of view? According to the expert, something egregious is about to happen.

“In our time, nothing can be surprised. There used to be a story – the goal of Kuwait was not counted at the World Cup, the sheikh went down to the field, the judge reviewed the decision. Probably, such scandals, if the Qatari sheikhs affect the result, then FIFA will not be able to remain silent, “ – says the interlocutor.