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The World Cup is and always has been a summer event. That’s just when it is, sure as night follows day the World Cup is best enjoyed on a big screen in the sun with a cold beer. It’s the best time to have time off to watch the games or even build a holiday around and go to the host country. It’s basic science. Fortunately FIFA has always been a follower of this science.
Qatar’s bid was ranked as high risk by FIFA due to the hot weather and the simple “fact that the competition is planned in June/July, the two hottest months of the year in this region, (it) has to be considered as a potential health risk for players, officials, the Fifa family and spectators, and requires precautions to be taken” stated a FIFA evaluation. So when Qatar was shockingly chosen as the destination of the 2022 World Cup, some may have felt rightly slightly concerned at how such a country would pull of a Summer World Cup.
But not to fear, the small Arabian Peninsula state in the Persian Gulf had it all sorted. They were going to use lots of very modern air conditioning to keep pitches, seats, training facilities and pretty much the whole country at a nice cool temperature ready to play football in their two hottest months. Their official bid site said
“Each of the five stadiums will harness the power of the sun’s rays to provide a cool environment for players and fans by converting solar energy into electricity that will then be used to cool both fans and players at the stadiums. When games are not taking place, the solar installations at the stadia will export energy onto the power grid. During matches, the stadia will draw energy from the grid. This is the basis for the stadiums’ carbon-neutrality. Along with the stadiums, we plan to make the cooling technologies we’ve developed available to other countries in hot climates, so that they too can host major sporting events.”
So nothing to worry about there then the tournament can still go on as usual in the summer as FIFA were appeased by the idea of air-conditioned stadiums. Which was fortunate as FIFA were keen to add “in principle the Fifa World Cup should be staged in June/July.”
Done
But wait, what’s this! Shockingly it now seems Qatar and FIFA are doing a giant U-turn on the air-conditioned stadium idea and now want to host the tournament in winter instead. A point originally raised by the Players’ Union has now taken a hold at the heart of FIFA, to just relocate the World Cup to winter. Blatter now says “I definitely support the idea to play in winter.”
His previous praise for the system of carbon neutral air conditioned stadiums has evidently dwindled. Now believing “you can air condition a stadium but I don’t see how you can air-condition an entire country.” Well why was that such a major selling point when you announced Qatar as the victor’s then Mr. Blatter if it’s complete rubbish?
Oh well not too fear at least football is being spread to new and exciting places. So what does Lonely Planet have to say about this new exciting destination for the World Cup? “Around the Gulf, Doha has earned the unenviable reputation of being the dullest place on earth.” Ah! Yet more resounding praise for what is shaping up to be a truly tremendous World Cup. (may contain traces of sarcasm).
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