On Nov. 22, the biggest sporting event in the world starts, the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is an international soccer tournament in which 32 nations compete to lift the ultimate prize, the World Cup trophy. The tournament is hosted in different countries ( or groups of countries) each four years, and this year it is being hosted in the small, but high income country of Qatar. With the 2022 FIFA World Cup being just around the corner there are still many debates on if Qatar should even be able to host the World Cup, but there are also many people who feel it should be held there because the game still can grow in the Middle East.

With around 80 days left until the World Cup starts, people are still concerned about it being hosted there. The World Cup is a summer competition after the players’ seasons, but due to the extremely hot weather conditions in the Middle East during the summer, the World Cup will have to be played in the winter. The players will have to pause in the middle of their club season and play an extra three to nine games and then return back to play for their club, which leaves them being more sustainable to injuries. Also the controversy surrounding Qatar’s stance on gay rights, some people in the who work for the countries team heading to Qatar have decided to boycott the World Cup. Another questionable topic surrounding the World Cup is the human rights issue: they have migrant issues, slavery allegations, and death surrounding the treatment of workers hired to build the stadiums. However, despite this controversy, the World Cup will go on even if people decide to boycott.

Even though there are so many issues surrounding the 2022 World Cup, there are also so many benefits for the tournament being hosted by Qatar. Qatar is the first country in the Middle-East that has hosted the World Cup, and with soccer currently growing in the area the World Cup will allow it to flourish and prosper in that region. The World Cup will create 1.5 million new jobs in Qatar in key sectors like construction, real estate, and hospitality, while having the economy grow even more due to tourism.

Qatar has a significant amount of money, which will allow them to maximize the opportunity for fans to have a great experience, that includes brand new air conditioned stadium, fan zones, and other outdoor venues for fans. While there are many downfalls for the world cup being in Qatar, the ultimate fan experience will be provided in an area where the sport can still grow.
With the 2022 FIFA world Cup just a few months away there is still conflict on whether it should even be held in Qatar. Even though there are many questionable decisions about the environment of the World Cup, there is also a vast amount of benefits of having the tournament be hosted in Qatar.