WORLD CUP EXPANSION COULD BE A ‘BIG BLOW’ FOR QATAR
Fifa talk of 48-team tournament in 2022 means a headache for Doha
Qatar is expected to oppose efforts to expand the size of the 2022 World Cup because of a loss of prestige that would come with having to share the tournament, analysts told The National.
Fifa, football’s governing body, said it would consider plans to enlarge the tournament from 32 to 48 teams for 2022, but construction experts said there was too little time to build the transport and power networks needed for up to four additional stadiums.
The logistical difficulties would mean the tournament would have to be extended to cater for the extra matches or for a co-host or hosts to be found.
Football authorities in Europe have opposed plans to lengthen a tournament that clashes with their domestic leagues after being shifted to November to avoid the summer heat in Qatar. If the world’s most lucrative leagues get their way, the option is to try to shift some of the games around the region.
“The Qataris have really staked their pride on hosting this tournament, and it would be a big blow to them if they had to share it with others,” said Michael Stephens, a Middle East expert at the Royal United Services Institute, a British defence and security think tank.
“The logic which drove the Qataris to seek the World Cup was one of wanting to make Qatar stand out in the world ... given all the problems of the past year I think that driving logic is even more the case today than it was back in 2010.”
Morocco and a joint bid by the USA, Canada and Mexico are contesting the right to host the first confirmed 48-team tournament in 2026.
South American nations – which will go from having four teams to six teams in the 2026 tournament – have pushed to bring forward the changes for 2022. Gianni Infantino, the Fifa President, said he would consider the request.
The nature of modern construction means that a football stadium can be built in two years, said experts, who suggested up to four more stadiums would be needed with the number of games rising from 64 to 80.
“Building four stadiums in four years is not a problem at all,” said Graham Robinson, an economist at UK-based Global Construction Perspectives.
“The problem is building all the infrastructure around it, which I think is an impossibility.
“Ramping it up to 48 teams means more people coming into the country, there are issues of mass transport, moving people and hosting teams. It’s going to be a big issue.”
The question of how Qatar was going to cope with the influx of fans for the world’s largest single sports event was under scrutiny even before the regional dispute that severed Qatar’s relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.
Iran started talks early this year to host some fans, according to The Economist. The tournament has been further dogged by controversies over alleged corruption and workers’ rights abuses on building sites.
The organising committee of the Qatar World Cup declined to say if it was lobbying Fifa against the proposed changes, or its stance on the proposed expansion.
“Before any decision is taken it is important that discussions are held on the operations and logistics of an increase in size of the tournament in Qatar,” a spokesperson said.
“Regardless of the outcome, we are confident in our ability to deliver a successful World Cup in 2022.”