48-team Cup may ruin Qatar’s 2022 National Day
DOHA: On Monday, Doha was getting ready to celebrate its biggest day of the year – the commemoration of Qatar’s unification in 1878. Four years from Tuesday (December 18), the international football federation could ruin Qatar’s National Day if it approves a 48-team World Cup, the first ever in the Arab world.
If the originally proposed 32-team World Cup is played, then Doha’s Lusail Stadium will hold the World Cup final on December 18, 2022. But FIFA has kept the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the body that is building up to the quadrennial showpiece, on tenterhooks with talk of a 48-team World Cup that could stretch the tournament. Nasser Al Khater, assistant secretary general for tournament affairs of the Supreme Committee, said Qatar was waiting for a “feasibility study report” from FIFA on expanding the field.
As of now, Doha will host the most compact World Cup ever with 64 matches to be played in 28 days (November 21-December 18). That number could go up to 80 matches, resulting in a scheduling and logistical nightmare.
“Only if Qatar agree FIFA will be able to increase the number of teams. It’s a discussion at this stage, and as far as we are concerned, it’s a hypothetical situation,” said the SC official.
“The question is who is actually ready to accommodate the extra number of matches and days? When we won the World Cup in December 2010, we had bid for a 32-team championship,” said Al Khater. Qatar is building eight stadiums to host the matches with only the remodelled Khalifa Stadium fully functioning.
FIFA is likely to decide by March on the exact number of teams. A 48-team World Cup has already been planned for the 2026 World Cup to be jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
Qatar is now facing a political blockade from four neighbouring nations – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt. So, sharing of matches under the current political climate looks impossible.
Infantino said last week that political tensions won’t prevent it from scheduling some World Cup games outside Qatar.
“Is it feasible to do it only in Qatar? Difficult probably,” Infantino said. “Is it feasible to have a few games being played in neighbouring countries? Well, maybe this is an option, of course.
“I’m not that naive not to know, not to read the news and not to know what is going on. But now we are in football, we are not in politics, and in football, sometimes the dreams come true.”
Al Nasser was diplomatic when asked if Qatar was ready to share games with its agitated neighbours.
“In 2009, Qatar had floated the idea of sharing (matches) but right now that’s not the preferred route to take.”
Infantino’s plans are being seen as “political” by many. Former Dutch World Cuppers Ruud Gullit and Ronald de Boer have criticised the expansion.
While Gullit said the attraction of matches will fall with “less attacking games”, De Boer said FIFA was only out to “please its members.”