Buenos Aires -
They will take away the World Cup... They bought the votes... They exploit the workers who build the stadiums... There will be 50 degrees of heat when playing the matches... It is a monarchical state without democracy... Women have no rights... On December 2, 2010, FIFA announced that the 2022 World Cup would be held in Qatar, a tiny emirate fifteen times smaller than Uruguay. In a fierce battle, it prevailed over powerhouse countries like Australia, the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Never before had FIFA chosen the host of a World Cup with such anticipation (12 years). Throughout this decade, the small oil nation has faced all kinds of attacks trying to take away the tournament. Powerful countries, multinational organizations, and NGOs have stoned Qatar's reputation to bend it. However, this little piece of the map has resisted firmly and diplomatically, with cunning and silence. And now, there is no turning back: unless an unexpected catastrophe occurs, on November 21, 2022, the tournament will be inaugurated and on December 18, just in two years, a captain will lift the coveted trophy at the Iconic Lusail Stadium, an artificial city-island of 35 square kilometers that is being built. Everything will be brand new there. The triumph of Qatar's presentation (added to Russia's victory over England in 2018) upset English and American humor. "What the heck happened...?". Taking the World Cup away from the United States means taking away a business worth hundreds of billions of dollars. That motivated, they say, the North American decision to promote the FIFA Gate through the FBI. But Putin silenced voices by staging an extraordinary tournament and Qatar is now close to the shore. A few more strokes and it will be safe from all the pressure. In 1996, the centenary of the Olympic Games, born in Greece, was celebrated and Athens' candidacy seemed unbeatable due to justice and symbolism; unexpectedly, the assigned host was Atlanta, Georgia, home to Coca-Cola and CNN. This time, Qatar managed to stay strong against all storms. What will the second World Cup in Asian territory be like...? Very peculiar, indeed, in a place without a football tradition, but with futuristic stadiums and dream facilities. Arab pride, so strong, will be present in every detail to dazzle visitors. We can already imagine (or not) the comfort of the stadiums. We still remember the suffocating 55 degrees in Chicago in the opening match between Bolivia and Germany in the 1994 World Cup.
The World Cup will be held in a place without a football tradition.
This will not be repeated in Qatar, as for the first time, the date of the tournament has been changed from mid to late year, and it will have a revolutionary cooling system which both spectators and players will enjoy. In an excellent interview by Francisco Henao, from El País de Cali, Fatma Al Nuaimi, Executive Director of Communications of the Local Organizing Committee, clarified: "According to our promise to the world of football, we have persisted in the development of air conditioning technology despite the fact that the World Cup will be played in November and December, with temperatures ranging from 18 to 24 degrees Celsius". Gabriel Batistuta, who played for Al-Arabí for a year and a half, said when the host was announced: "Two things are certain, everything will be perfect and very comfortable, you can go from one stadium to another in half an hour". Fatma corrected Bati a bit: "The concept of a compact World Cup will be something never seen before for fans, who will be able to attend up to two matches during the first stages of the tournament, with journeys of at most one hour between venues”. Of course, on impeccable highways.
The phenomenal Xavi Hernández, the brain of Guardiola's Barcelona, has been in the emirate for five years; he retired there and is currently the coach of Al-Sadd in the capital Doha; he is so comfortable that he is seriously considering staying there forever: "Here there are many advantages. Tranquility, security... We don't have a key to the house, you leave the car running... Nuria (his wife) even tells me that if we can stay here it will be even better for our children. Both were born here. In Qatar, people are happy, and the system, although not democratic, works better than in Spain". Xavi received a lot of criticism for these statements. "Of course, because he earns 10 million euros a year there," they lashed out at him. However, if he decided to return as the coach of Barça, where they await him with open arms, he would return to his home and have the same or higher contract.
The tournament will take place from November 21, 2022, to December 18.
Financial sectors that distrust Qatar's economic strength estimate that it will invest around 200 billion dollars to host the tournament in luxury. "The government itself has recognized that it is spending 500 million dollars a week to meet the deadlines for the works," reported the Financial Times. This has been aggravated by the oil crisis, and the Qatari state had to resort to loans for the first time. But they have not wanted to take their foot off the accelerator for a moment. "We don't want to keep adding layers of paint while people arrive in the country," said Ali Shareef Al-Emadi, Minister of Finance. The World Cup is the great bet of the relatively new state, founded in 1971. Fatma Al Nuaimi referred to what the tournament means for them: "It will be an honor to receive thousands of fans from around the world, interacting with us and forming their own opinions about our country. It is the first World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world, we see it as a golden opportunity to present our region and show all its positive attributes to the world".
Due to its minimal geography, Qatar will be a sort of large Olympic village where football will be felt in every corner for 28 days. For the first time, fans and athletes will be able to stay in the same accommodation throughout their stay and easily move only by metro between stadiums. (O)