FIFA have done it. They've managed to make their greatest invention - the World Cup - a money orientated competition. That's right, the 2022 World Cup in, let's not forget, Qatar will be the first to have 48 teams.
Since Sepp Blatter, Gianni Infantino has been FIFA president and, to be frank, has been as bad as his predecessor. With no thought of what anyone bar FIFA wants, the World Cup will feature 16 more teams. What does that mean? Well, a considerable decrease in competitiveness in the competition.
With all due respect, the 32 team World Cup has been culpable, as well, of noncompetitive tournaments. The 2018 World Cup, though my best ever, had the embarrassment of Panama. The North American nation qualified for the first World Cup in Russia but, in all honesty, should never have qualified. Los Canaleros benefited from an almighty cock up by the USA, an all round better footballing nation. The fortuitous nature of Panama's qualification was evident from their group stage results - losing all their games (3-0 to Belgium, 6-1 against England and 2-1 versus Tunisia).
So, with a 32 team tournament that is liable to allowing less able footballing countries to qualify, what do FIFA do? Make it easier for them to qualify! We shouldn't have expected anything less. An organisation as corrupt as FIFA will do all it can to make itself more profitable, even if that means making its global competition a farce.
The worst part, though, is that Qatar will have the opportunity to be the first country to have the expanded World Cup. This is the country that won the bidding process through undeniable corruption and its society entrenched by homophobia and general lack of human rights, with slaves from countries across the world treated abhorrently whilst constructing the stadiums. Now, due to the increase in countries, FIFA will have to consult bordering countries (Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain) to accommodate the sides.
Here's a list of reasons why the World Cup should never be held in some of these countries.
Qatar
Since Sepp Blatter, Gianni Infantino has been FIFA president and, to be frank, has been as bad as his predecessor. With no thought of what anyone bar FIFA wants, the World Cup will feature 16 more teams. What does that mean? Well, a considerable decrease in competitiveness in the competition.
With all due respect, the 32 team World Cup has been culpable, as well, of noncompetitive tournaments. The 2018 World Cup, though my best ever, had the embarrassment of Panama. The North American nation qualified for the first World Cup in Russia but, in all honesty, should never have qualified. Los Canaleros benefited from an almighty cock up by the USA, an all round better footballing nation. The fortuitous nature of Panama's qualification was evident from their group stage results - losing all their games (3-0 to Belgium, 6-1 against England and 2-1 versus Tunisia).
So, with a 32 team tournament that is liable to allowing less able footballing countries to qualify, what do FIFA do? Make it easier for them to qualify! We shouldn't have expected anything less. An organisation as corrupt as FIFA will do all it can to make itself more profitable, even if that means making its global competition a farce.
The worst part, though, is that Qatar will have the opportunity to be the first country to have the expanded World Cup. This is the country that won the bidding process through undeniable corruption and its society entrenched by homophobia and general lack of human rights, with slaves from countries across the world treated abhorrently whilst constructing the stadiums. Now, due to the increase in countries, FIFA will have to consult bordering countries (Kuwait, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain) to accommodate the sides.
Here's a list of reasons why the World Cup should never be held in some of these countries.
Qatar
- Discrimination against women
- Exploitation of migrant workers
UAE
- Exploitation of migrant workers
- Military in Yemen arming and supporting militia groups
Saudi Arabia
- Women's right activists detained or smeared in state-controlled media
- Discrimination against women
- Executions
But what does that matter to FIFA? Absolutely nothing. This World Cup should never have happened, but it is and, potentially, is being expanded to countries with similar grotesque laws as Qatar. How can a supposed democratic organisation like FIFA effectively condone what these countries do by playing football's greatest show in them? They can, and will, as their employees only care about the number in their bank balance.
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