Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid
Facts and figures relating to Qatar's bid to stage the 2022 World Cup finals:
Bid motto
"Expect Amazing"
Why are they bidding?
The Middle East has never hosted a major global sporting event, and a win by Qatar for the 2022 World Cup would do much to boost the region's global profile.
Best footballing moment
Winning the Gulf Cup in 1992 and 2004 when Qatar also hosted both tournaments.
Best-known footballers
Khalfan Ibrahim, the first Qatari to win the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Player of the Year award in 2007. At 18 years old, he was the youngest player to win it.
Previous World Cup performances
Qatar have never qualified for the World Cup finals.
Main stadium for 2022
The ultra-modern Lusail Stadium, which would host the opening match and final. The air-conditioned stadium, which would have a capacity of 86,000, would take four years to build, would be expected to be completed by 2019 and would be surrounded by water. If Qatar loses its bid, the ground will not be built.
Best points
Money is no object for the gas-rich Gulf Arab state, the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), whose economy is expected to soar a staggering 21 percent in 2011.
An event staged in Qatar is likely to do well commercially because of the time zone (three hours ahead of GMT), with the largest spectator audiences coming from Europe, South America and Asia.
Possible drawbacks
Ferocious summer temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius are likely to deter fans and might present health risks, FIFA has said. The compact nature of the country and the fact that 10 out of the 12 stadiums are located within a 25 to 30-km radius are also significant drawbacks, it has said.
Legacy point
All of Qatar's stadiums would be partly dismantled after the finals, with the extra seating shipped to developing nations who could reconstruct them as smaller stadiums for their own use, a plus for developing football globally, bid organisers say. The country will spend $4 billion to build nine new stadiums and renovate three others.
What they say
Bid CEO Hassan Al-Thawadi: "FIFA and the international football community have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the hearts and minds of people about the Middle East, to change the economics of the World Cup, to change football itself. The Qatar 2022 bid represents an opportunity to be a transformative event."
Bookies' odds
4-9
Population
1.7 million
Number of clubs
18 professional clubs and a number of junior clubs.
FIFA World Ranking (Nov. 2010)
113
Trivia fact
Qatar needed one point from their final qualifying match to reach the World Cup finals in France in 1998 but lost 1-0 to Saudi Arabia and missed out on a place in the finals.
& So now Qatar wins the BID!.... God Always Has His Ways Of Blessing Those He Wants To Bless & He Can Never Be Questioned..... The World Will Always Have a Mix Of Rich Vs Poor People..... & Only God Can Judge The Heart Of The Wicked Ones!!!.... At the end of the day... we all get what we deserve from this life & From The Next..... Thats all i'm saying!
there will always be poor construction workers all over the world whether we like it or not!!! if you feel sorry for them, why not give them money or food on your way to work everyday?
I won't be surprised to come to your house and find your housemaid washing the toilets on an empty stomach! If you do not support Qatar, then i think you're in the wrong country... innit?
So I support Spain-Portugal for 2018. Does that mean my country should rip up my passport and charge me with treason?
Your logic is flawed.
BTW i clean my own house :)
@ Dohasteve,no point mate...you're up against the arse-licker's brigade here...that lot obviously can't see beyond the flowers on the corniche & the faux sky @ Villagio...& would also most likely not find employment in any part of the real world,so don't bother,they don't know any better...
I am astounded at your comments. I don't know what type of society you were brought up in, but to attack someone for raising a valid (probably more valid than any World Cup discussion) point such as Raven did regarding the construction workers is the height of arrogance or ignorance, both being equally inexcusable.
The hypocracy in this country never ceases to dismay - and anyone who can't see past the flowers in the Corniche and the canals in Villagio seriously needs to remove the blinkers and take a long hard loook around them.
The vast majority of us are here because of money. If it becomes economically less attractive to live and work here, then we will all leave and go to the next place that will pay for our varied talents.
Next time you dismiss the plight of construction workers (and, yes, domestic servants) in this country, try thinking of an old saying: there but for the grace of God go I.
And then thank whatever God it is that you believe in that you are not in the same position.
Can I start?
I TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!
;P
Oh God!...not ANOTHER arse-licker vs. realist thread *eyeball roll*...
@ genesis,that's a good point,combining similar threads gives a fuller picture of the topic of discussion...& yes,this topic is going to be done to death till the successful bids are announced & for a couple of weeks after that during which either one side will go on about "i told you so"!!! :)...
Quoting OO: 'Qatar is populated by a very good balance of foreigners from all over the world treated fairly and evenly,...'
Are you for real??? And before you bite - yes, I do a LOT for some underprivileged people in Qatar!!! Do YOU???
i think you misunderstood my post, what i meant was to have the threads combined to avoid duplication and to make it easier for new users to read all what was written in the topic previously.
If i find the topic so irritating, i would have not commented on each & every thread about the discussed topic
thank you for your compliment :)
@ Olaniran Oloro - so because some of us don't support the bid that makes us enemies of Qatar...flippin heck mate what planet are you on? Have you heard of healthy debate, obviously not, go back to your sub serivant ass licking and let the real adults dicuss issues in peace.
@ Genesis if you don't like the topic mate don't involve yourself. This is going to be the topic of the moment until the 2 Dec, its big news with big implications for Qatar, and yes it has been dicussed for ages, just don't participate if it irritates you that much. I like reading your posts and replys, you are obvioulsy an intelligent guy, keep it up mate!
I would love 2 c Qatar get the bid, as we will get an opportunity 2 c the world class players once in a life time........
Why doesn't QL like other forums has a facility to combine threads?
This is getting irritating.
We are all here in Qatar and we would love Qatar get that chance of hosting the World Cup 2022.
GO Qatar!!!!
@ hms Exactly! that is how bad people behave..... Only God can judge a man who bites the finger that feeds him!!!
with Olaniran, people just speak and do something else, if they are not happy with Qatar they are most welcome to leave why to just blame,
All the best...Qatar!!!Waiting for the good news.
any way we have 2 wait
9 days more..............
The World Cup is not designed for everyone in the World. It's a month long piss-up designed to increase sales for its sponsors (i.e. Heineken) and promote football as a sport. It's job is not to create world unity but to earn revenues. If you want a sporting event designed for everyone, try the Olympics. Now that I believe Qatar has a chance to get in the near future.
try telling the poor construction workers they get treated evenly and fairly...
If Qatar hosts the world cup, FIFA would not only be making the right decision, they would also be doing the whole world a favor because Qatar is populated by a very good balance of foreigners from all over the world treated fairly and evenly, (Compared to the treatment they receive in other countries) so much so that the population of the foreigners greatly surpasses the population of The Original Qataris....... The World Cup is designed for people all over the world.... so if Qatar gets the BID..... Then "THE WHOLE WORLD GETS IT!!!"
Ugh! I cannot wait till December 3rd so this is never brought up again!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
the topic is getting a bit boring!