FIFA official: Qatar won't host 2022 World Cup

Qatar will not host the 2022 World Cup because the weather there is so warm as to be unsafe, according to Theo Zwanziger, a member of FIFA's Executive Committee.

"I personally think that in the end the 2022 World Cup will not take place in Qatar," he said, according to Reuters. Qatar has said it will be able to adequately cool the stadiums for the games, though Zwanziger doubted it could prevent foreign fans from succumbing to the heat outside the venues.

Now, Zwanziger was only expressing his personal belief, not FIFA's official position. Yet FIFA President Sepp Blatter said back in May that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was a "mistake," and there is some speculation the organization could indeed relocate the games.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up