Controversy: The 2022 FIFA World Cup

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Anthony Martelino
Richardson
AP Government – 3
12 March 2018 Controversy has emerged in the sporting world following the 2010 selection of Qatar as host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Widespread concerns about the feasibility of a World Cup in Qatar have aroused questions ultimately leading to investigation and the Garcia Report. FIFA, or the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, is the main governing body of world soccer and has been attacked in recent times because of deep-rooted corruption. Qatar ultimately should not have been selected as the of the 2022 World Cup because of corruption in the bidding process, widespread human rights violations, and inappropriate conditions for soccer. Bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups …show more content…

Jack Warner, the now-suspended Vice President of FIFA, has made public an e-mail in which the former General Secretary of FIFA, Jérôme Valcke, refers to Qatar as having “bought” the World Cup (“Fifa: Valcke Denies…”). Valcke was removed from his position and banned for ten years in February 2016 following multiple scandals (“Jérôme Valcke Appeals…”). Mohamed Bin Hammam, a Qatari and former president of the Asian Football Confederation, was suspended by FIFA following an investigation by Chuck Blazer that claimed Bin Hammam paid Caribbean officials $40,000 for votes (“Blazer – I Had…”). Blazer is an American who served on the FIFA executive committee, and is now suspended himself. The Sunday Times claims to have found letters, e-mails, and bank transfers that confirm payments by Bin Hammam. The claim reports payments totaling to $5 million (Bond). The Sunday Times further alleges that Bin Hammam paid roughly $375,000 to cover legal expenses of another FIFA executive committee member, Reynald Temarii of Tahiti (Bond). Temarii was, however, unable to vote because of a sting that caught him attempting to sell his vote to American bid officials. Additionally, Bin Hammam’s company, Kemco, is also alleged to have paid Jack Warner $1.2 million (Watt). Bin Hammam was given a lifetime ban in 2012 by FIFA’s ethics committee (Watt). In total, seven of the twenty-two executive committee members have been suspended since the 2010 vote

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