Is the 2022 World Cup moving away from ‘too hot’ Qatar?

The 2022 World Cup will not be held in Qatar because of the scorching temperatures in the Middle Eastern country, FIFA Executive Committee member Theo Zwanziger said on Monday. “I personally think that in the end the 2022 World Cup will not take place in Qatar,” the German told Sport Bild. “Medics say that they cannot accept responsibility with a World Cup taking place under these conditions,” added the former German football (DFB) chief, who is now a member of the world soccer’s governing body FIFA that awarded the tournament to Qatar in 2010.

The Qatar technical report indicated clearly that it is too hot in summer, but the executive committee with quite a big majority decided all the same that the tournament would be in Qatar.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter

Although wealthy Qatar has insisted that a summer World Cup is viable thanks to cooling technologies it is developing for stadiums, training areas and fan zones, there is still widespread concern over the health of the players and visiting supporters. “They may be able to cool the stadiums but a World Cup does not take place only there,” Zwanziger added. “Fans from around the world will be coming and travelling in this heat and the first life-threatening case will trigger an investigation by a state prosecutor. That is not something that FIFA Exco members want to answer for.” FIFA officials insisted Zwanziger was only expressing a personal opinion and not giving the view of the Executive Committee. But FIFA President Sepp Blatter had said in May that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was a “mistake” and the tournament would probably have to be held in the European winter.

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