As investigations into alleged corruption continue at Fifa over the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the question of what might happen if Qatar loses the latter event throws up intriguing permutations.
The Qatari organisers insist the tournament will go ahead and to further boost a global presence helped by football sponsorships with top clubs such as FC Barcelona and Paris St Germain, a big effort is being made to build a national team to justify the country’s role on the pitch as 2022 hosts. This includes nurturing the tiny domestic pool of talent and attracting and naturalising promising foreign players via the Aspire Academy.
Formed in 2004, the state-owned talent-spotting programme claims to assess 400,000 young footballers a year across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Promising young players are scrutinised at centres throughout Africa and in Paraguay, Thailand and Vietnam. The best two players from each country are selected to be trained at an Aspire academy, in Senegal.
In 2012 Aspire bought a club in the Belgian second division, KAS Eupen, which is being used to give first-team senior experience to promising graduates from the Senegal and Doha academies.
“It is, of course, one of the longer term goals of the Academy that some of our graduates will represent Qatar at the Fifa World Cup 2022,” it says.
The Aspire facilities also attract leading clubs, including Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Everton and Liverpool in recent years, to Doha for warm weather training or to compete in junior competitions, further polishing the Qatari global image.
And thereby lies the crux of the matter. Where Qatar Inc stands to lose the most, if the Fifa corruption allegations are proven true and the country is stripped of the World Cup, is in its brand image. There could be a reduction in confidence among international clubs, players and companies, perhaps leading to cancellation of sponsorships – which would seriously damage Qatar’s reputation. Doha’s ambitions to diversify its economy through becoming a financial hub to rival neighbouring Dubai would also probably be dented.
“The loss of the event would not be positive, as Doha has been struggling to create itself as an economic hub to match the Dubai International Finance Centre,” says Elias Moubarak, the head of finance at the law firm Trowers & Hamlins in the UAE.
“Bad publicity will not encourage people to move to the Qatar Financial Centre for example, and I think it would generally [have] a negative impact on Qatar’s objectives.”
Losing the world’s most watched sports event could also undermine confidence at home.
“First and foremost Qatar would see it as an embarrassing loss, and [they] care about that far more than financial implications,” David Roberts, a lecturer at King’s College London and the author of Qatar: Securing the Global Ambitions of a City State, told the middleeasteye.net news website last month. “They would be livid if [they] lost it.
Fifa and its staff would do well to be worried, too. “I’m sure Qatar would try to sue Fifa – and if anyone can they can – back to the Stone Age,” he adds.
Other implications of Qatar losing the 2022 World Cup are more tied to Michel Platini’s decision to run for Fifa presidency following Sepp Blatter’s resignation this year as the head of football’s world governing body.
Platini, a former French football star and the current head of the European body Uefa, voted for Qatar to host the 2022 event. His election as Fifa president would benefit Qatar; a win for Platini would constitute de facto support for Qatar.
A decision to remove the 2022 finals from Qatar would also create myriad spin-off court cases.
Research by MEED shows that work worth US$1.23 billion directly linked to the World Cup has already been commissioned.
The more contracts Qatar signs for the event, the more difficult – and costly – removing the finals becomes. A legal minefield would emerge.
And in that case, the only real winner of the World Cup 2022 would be the legal profession.
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Schedule
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
RACECARD
%3Cp%3E5pm%3A%20Al%20Shamkha%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Khalifa%20City%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Masdar%20City%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%0D%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Emirates%20Championship%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(PA)%20Dh1%2C000%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Shakbout%20City%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%202%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results:
Women:
1. Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) 322.95 points
2. Lysanne Richard (CAN) 285.75
3. Ellie Smart (USA) 277.70
Men:
1. Gary Hunt (GBR) 431.55
2. Constantin Popovici (ROU) 424.65
3. Oleksiy Prygorov (UKR) 392.30
the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community
I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Bombshell
Director: Jay Roach
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie
Four out of five stars
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
De De Pyaar De
Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Results
4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.
5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass
5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley; Musabah Al Muhairi
6.55pm: Handicap; Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar.
