If it has been a $200 billion battle for regional bragging rights then Qatar will see the cost of the 2022 World Cup as money well spent.
Back in 2008 when Qatar were licking their wounds after a humiliating rejection by the IOC for Doha’s bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, the prospect of bidding for the World Cup instead was seized on as a face-saving exercise for a regime intent on beating their neighbours in the United Arab Emirates to the prestige of hosting one of the great sporting events.
The outcome could hardly have been better for Qatar. Even a dozen years of negative publicity over alleged corruption, human rights, treatment of migrant workers and laughable environment claims must seem worth it with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, the two stand-out stars of Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain, on opposing sides in the final.
The Doha bid for the Olympics was based on the Games being held in October. There was no pretence: the usual months of July and August where temperatures are regularly in the 40s would be too hot. Jacques Rogge, the IOC’s president at the time, blocked it: the proposed dates were deemed to be unworkable and the bid did not even get to a vote.
The World Cup was a different prospect. Fifa did not seem to view a June-July tournament there as a problem after Qatar promised to air condition the stadiums — though as Chuck Blazer, the head of the rival USA bid, said: “You can air-condition a stadium, but I don’t see how you can air-condition an entire country.”
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Fifa’s executive committee decided to worry about that later. They had been swayed by a campaign involving arms deals, trade agreements, high-level politics, financial sweeteners and, it is claimed, plain bribery. In the final round of voting on December 2, 2010, 14 of the 22-man Fifa ExCo voted to give the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
The US justice department has since released an indictment stating that the three South Americans on the Fifa ExCo “received bribe payments in exchange for their votes in favour of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup”. Two have since died, the other denies having taken a bribe.
Qatar has always denied paying bribes, and sought to distance itself from its Fifa member at the time, Mohamed bin Hammam, who was banned for life by Fifa for corruption.
It may have been an uncomfortable ride, but Qatar will feel the climax of this World Cup — hailed predictably by Fifa president Gianni Infantino as the best ever — has made it all worthwhile.
This is only the beginning for major sports events in the Gulf, where money is almost meaningless and prestige is everything.
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It was envy of Qatar that led to the 2017 economic blockade of the country by its neighbours Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. That envy has led Saudi on its own remorseless campaign to use sport to boost its standing.
As previously reported, Saudi Arabia is close to announcing its own 2030 World Cup bid, probably as a joint enterprise with Egypt and Greece. Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia also have covetous eyes on the 2036 Olympics.
As for the issue of the Olympics being in the summer, Saudi’s sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, does not envisage a problem in bringing the Games or a football World Cup.
He told The Times recently: “If there is an opportunity to host such a big event we will look at these possibilities with everyone, the IOC or Fifa or any international federation to see how we can make a competition or tournament a success. The future is bright for Saudi.”
Infantino has long courted the Saudi spending power and no one would be too surprised to see the World Cup heading back to the Gulf at some point.
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The Olympics is going to be a tougher proposition to win.
With that prize at stake and the vast oil and gas wealth at the disposal of Qatar’s rivals, $200 billion for a sports event may seem like small change.
