Every four years, for every football fan, everything stops as the world witnesses what is arguably the biggest sporting event, the World Cup. For the past few years, it has been a thrilling ride. We got to experience Savannah and African culture in 2010, where South Africa was the host nation. In 2014, we got a trip to the extensive Amazon lifestyle courtesy of Brazil, the then host nation. In 2018, Croatia won our hearts, but France had the last laugh at the expense of Russia, the host nation. 2022? We have our popcorn ready.

The next episode of the global event will be different from what we are used to. Qatar will hold the next one, and for all reasons has sparked controversy and debate. One reason is the timing of the event. Qatar is in an Arab setting that experiences extreme temperatures and high summer heat; hence, for this reason, the World Cup 2022 will take place at the end of the year. It will be for the first time in history. Talk of Christmas coming early.

Qatar Successful Bid for The 2022 World Cup

Somehow not foreseen by anyone, Qatar outweighed the United States, Australia, and 2004 World Cup hosts South Korea and Japan in the bid. FIFA, the body in charge of world football, made the announcement back in 2010, and that’s when issues arose too.

Sepp Blatter, the then FIFA president, confirmed that the small Gulf Arab country would host the global soccer event after a 22-man committee voted in favor of Qatar. This gave the host nation a 12 years’ time window to deliver a dream World Cup every fan and player would love.

Why The Controversy?

Qatar had already raised concerns for alarms with the successful bid and preparations for the month-long football tournament in 2022. The World Cup is always a summer event, but due to the scorching climate of the Persian Gulf country, the event was slated to be in November and December, which are milder. Qatar officials, however, have claimed that heat is and will not be an issue come 2022.

Qatar is a small country with a population of about 2.7 million. The government has no roots whatsoever based in soccer and somehow won the secret vote and the bid to host the World Cup. It was the first time a country from the Middle East is hosting the event, and with that tagged along with corruption-related scandals. FIFA took the matter seriously and conducted their investigations, concluding afterward that the elections were unbiased. The suspicions didn’t end there as Michel Platini, a football administrator, was arrested and banned over ethics violations until 2023.

Human rights groups also took to the limelight concerning the successful World Cup bid by Qatar. With the World Cup years away, this meant one thing for the host nation, intense structure, facility, and infrastructure rebuild. There was a shortage of labor, and labor had to be imported from other countries. Human rights groups and activists have raised concerns over the mistreatment of foreign workers, while Qatar claims the event is just catalyzing and improving labor laws.

So far, it is believed there have been 900 deaths on construction sites, underpayment of workers, and passports being taken away from the workers.

The 2020 Euros

The UEFA European Championship, commonly referred to as the Euros, had its 16th installment scheduled to take part last year. However, due to the global pandemic, it shifted to this year across Europe under the circumstances we are not used to. It still retained its name Euro 2020 despite it being played in 2021. Fans were excited to see the sporting event bearing in mind the pandemic had halted all football activities last summer.

This year’s Euros didn’t lack the usual predictions and online sports betting as fans argued who would win the cup, top scorer, and best performer in the tournament. Fans and journalists all came together, and it was clear the trophy was either going to France or England, who had a home advantage. This saw the rise of the now famous saying ‘Bring it home’ for the three lions, England.

The world champions France were eliminated by Switzerland, England defeated Germany, and it was game on for the remaining teams. With football postponed, fans were not allowed into the stadiums, and players played on empty fields. It was a devastating experience. Watching the games on television did not cover the emptiness of the stadiums as it still echoed through the screens. Players’ conversations could be heard, and despite efforts to use artificial crowd noise, it was still not enough.

Euro 2021 was played across 11 different Cities, and the fans got a chance to witness the game firsthand. Gianluigi Donnarumma was the star in the final match as he saved two spot-kicks to guarantee Italy the win. The excitement was like no other as screams bellowed to the heavens. Fans from both teams cried and hugged in the stadium, one consolation, and the others a sign of victory. It was glorious to witness such moments, even from the screens. The tournament was just a clear reminder of why the stands are necessary when filled with die-hard fans. The Euros was just a pacesetter. Up next? The World Cup 2022. Expect fireworks.