Qatar World Cup Decision “Political One”

Friday, 03 December 2010 | by Pat's Picks

Qatar, a place with “shallow soccer roots and oppressive summer heat,” might seem like an unlikely place to host the World Cup, says the Washington Post, but the decision is more than just a simple vote—it’s an election. Explains the US Soccer President, Sunil Gulati: “It’s politics, it’s friendships and relationships, it’s alliances, it’s tactics.”

According to the Post, FIFA view the US as the “safe choice” for the 2022 bid, one of the reason we lost to Qatar who “charmed” officials with their plan to build an infrastructure and its “promise of promoting harmony in a region fractured by conflict.” Soccer fans were also surprised to see Russia awarded the 2018 games over the UK and a combined bid from Spain and Portugal.

Above is the front page of Qatar-based newspaper Al Watan. I don’t read Arabic, so I’m not sure what the copy says, but I’m assuming it’s something to do with World Cup giddiness. Below is the inside story from Al Watan: