It doesn’t matter that the 2022 Qatar World Cup has been mired in multiple controversies since FIFA named it the host site, because, as outlined in a report from The Telegraph, FIFA’s ethics committee has ‘no power’ to change the location of the tournament even if an investigation reveals that bribes took place.
Michael Garcia, an investigator for the ethic’s committee, is vetting the bidding process for both the 2018 (Russia) and 2022 World Cups. Should he find any evidence of bribes, his committee would only be able to sanction individuals presumably on the 25-member executive board.
“If Garcia finds something which was wrong, the ethics committee has the right to take sanctions,” a senior source at FIFA told the paper. “But does he have the right to say, ‘based on what I have found the World Cup should not be played in Qatar?’ No, he does not have that right.”
The bribery would be just one of the numerous pitfalls already associated with Qatar’s bid. Abuse of immigrant workers tasked with building the stadiums for the small oil country has come under heavy scrutiny in recent months.
On top of the injustices, the logic of a summer World Cup in Qatar has been questioned due to the searing heat and potential health risks for the players. The World Cup will very likely be moved to the winter time, however that will conflict with numerous European soccer leagues’ schedules. A winter tournament would also conflict with already-signed broadcast deals.
