As an American, I fully understand the stereotype that soccer shouldn’t be one of my interests.
According to the rest of the world, I shouldn’t care.
But unfortunately I do, and losing the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar was a tough defeat to handle.
The United States lost to a country slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut.
That’s not to say Qatar isn’t a capable host of the World Cup. The country has recently experienced vast economic growth behind its oil supply and has plenty of money to toss at stadiums.
In fact, Qatar is the secondhighest per-capita income country and has posted eight consecutive budget surpluses.
Soccer is also quite popular in Qatar, but the country doesn’t have a history of soccer success. Team USA, a country with less support for the sport, has had more success.
Several questions came to mind when trying to comprehend FIFA’s decision, but the longer I thought about it, the more it makes sense.
First, how is Qatar going to handle the construction of soccer stadiums?
Obviously the country has the money, and with that money comes the possibility of state of the art buildings. Part of that was a major influence on the world soccer governing body.
There is even the possibility of an ‘island stadium,’ which would require entrances by boat.
The talk about building stadiums that can be taken apart after the World Cup is a good discussion. Many countries, including Greece and China after hosting the Olympics, have been left with large stadiums and buildings that don’t serve an extra purpose. A country that doesn’t require large soccer stadiums can’t leave itself stuck with several of them.
Second, how will Islamic laws balance the clash between the Western world and it’s religious culture?
Qatar has progressively become more liberal, and currently allows alcohol to a certain extent.
Also, there is only one distributing company, the Qatar Distribution Company, and it is illegal to be drunk or show alcohol in public, under Qatar’s Sharia.
Beer is already expensive at sporting events, and with one distribution company, could the price of beer skyrocket?
Another aspect is female attire.
The wardrobes of women who follow Islamic law abide by the rules that your body, or certain parts of your body, shouldn’t be exposed. At the least, knees, elbows and heads should be covered. When temperatures reach 110 degrees, many women will want to strip down. Tolerance might have to be a must.
And third, how are the fans going to deal with heat that can reach 120 degrees in the afternoons?
Sure, stadiums and practice facilities will be heavily air conditioned, but half of the World Cup experience deals with learning about a new country.
Fans will want to explore this little known land. It will be hot, and many will get tans and sunburns.
Qatar has plenty of questions to answer. Most of them come from my displeasure that the World Cup won’t be coming to the States, but they are valid questions nonetheless.
With all the wealth and all the promises, I expect one hell of a show.
Reach the columnist at nathan.meacham@asu.edu
