jam25mack

UAE official says Qatar giving up World Cup could end crisis | Daily Mail Online

On Sunday night, Khalfan targeted the FIFA tournament in his tweets.
"If the World Cup goes out of Qatar, the crisis in Qatar will end because the crisis was made to break it," he wrote.

Interesting.... if I'm honest, I have always thought that Qatar would never get to hold this. Imagine if the boycott was still on during the tournament. Travel would be awful. There'd be no one there.

DXBtoDOH

Yeah...... as it stands I think there's a very good chance the embargo will still be on in 2022. Which means the biggest clientele for the WC - the other GCC countries, won't be able to come to Qatar. Which also means that the leagues of drunken European tourists won't be able to plan a Dubai holiday and flying over to Qatar just for the day they have tickets for a match. They'll take one look at Qatar and laugh and stay home.

Maybe that is the secret plan. Realising that Qatar won't be backing down the surrounding countries are resorting to humiliating Qatar as much as possible over the WC as it's the highest profile event for Qatar - ever.

scrubbedexpat141

Very interesting thoughts.

Fossildog

Cant see them moving the date and the host. Would be too much disruption.

Dubaiexile

They could always split it between four countries...England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland !!!!

co durham boy

It's the only way the Jocks would qualify

scrubbedexpat141

I'm limiting my piss take of the Scottish Father and Welsh friends because let's face it, we are ****ing dreadful.

jam25mack

My thoughts too.

I can if there's a chance no one will go.... If this embargo is still in place thats a distinct possibility.

True. Pretty much ready to go.

I haven't, they can all get it right round them!

*not that I actually care about International football.

martinbkk

I think probably the highest profile event in the entire GCC, next nearest would be what, Dubai rugby 7's, golf? Hardly the same league methinks.

I still think it's going to be mighty interesting to watch the standoff between a vodka fueled Russian horde and the Qatari police weebles.

jam25mack

Highest by a mega country mile....

I'd say that the Dubai World Cup (Horses) or the Golf would be the closest. Sevens, not so much.

Johnnyboy11

Doha is hosting the 2019 IAAF World Championships, which I'm told is a huge sporting event. Being held from September 28 until October 6 at the refurb'd Khalifa Stadium, so temps up to 40 deg. and very high humidity to be expected.

Be interesting to see how it goes...

Miss Ann Thrope

Doha has hosted the Asian games which is a huge event in terms of competitors (though in fairness they probably outnumbered the interested spectators).

I'd say F1 in AD and Bahrain would be the biggest sporting events in the Gulf. AD has also hosted the FIFA world club championships a couple of times (you know the thing in December with the winners of the various Champions Leagues).

scrubbedexpat141

All the events listed are nothing compared to the World Cup.
It's the biggest global sporting event, by a country mile.

What's it worth etc

TheShed

Yes, the World Cup is huge, but I would have thought in terms of physical spectators and TV viewing, isn't the Olympics bigger?

scrubbedexpat141

Good point. They're very equal.
"The general trend is that every 2 years every new Summer Olympiad will break the previous World Cup record and then next World Cup will do the same."