Qatar wins bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup

As the hosts for the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament, Qatar has recently come under fire for its inability to deal with problems concerning extreme heat conditions, and worker’s rights. International soccer officials have discussed the possibility of moving the dates for the tournament from summer to winter in order to cope with the heat. They will also address the working conditions or laborers associated with construction of stadiums and other structures that will be used during the tournament. There have been reports that hundreds of workers have already died and casualties expect reach 4,000 before the tournament even begins.

From a business point of view, moving the date of a competition that has always been held during summers is not the best idea. As stated in the articles, there will be an overlapping of soccer/football competitions causing problems in the marketing sector. This in turn also lowers the amount of revenue the World Cup would have with no overlap. The reported deaths of workers is a troubling matter. Accidental deaths are understandable, but consistent casualties due to the extreme heat? That is unacceptable. Qatar must improve conditions if it wants to keep its title as hosts.

Articles:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/03/sport/football/qatar-world-cup/

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/04/world-cup-2022-fifa-sepp-blatter-qatar-worker-deaths

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