Qatar wins 2022 World Cup bid

The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar after the country's bid won FIFA's vote in Zurich.

Qatar will become the first Middle Eastern hosts of the World Cup after Sepp Blatter, the FIFA President, announced the 22 executive committee members had voted to award the 2022 tournament to a country of only 1.7 million people, beating off the rival bids from the United States, who had been considered the favourites by many, Australia, South Korea and Japan.

Qatar's bid had centred on an appeal to FIFA to take "a bold gamble" by taking the World Cup to a region where football is popular and is beginning to emerge as world player in global sport. The victory will be viewed as a triumph for Mohammed Bin Hammam, FIFA Executive Member, and President of the Asian Football Confederation, who is the favourite to succeed Blatter.

The US could point to its pedigree of having already staged the 1994 World Cup, which drew vast crowds, plus commercial and financial guarantees, and the opportunity for Fifa to make further inroads into a country where baseball, basketball and the NFL still rule the sporting landscape.

But despite concerns regarding the blistering heat it was Qatar who convinced the FIFA voters.

As Qatar bid Chief Executive, Hassan Al-Thawadi, explains âwe know it would be a bold gamble and an exciting prospect but with no risk. Heat is not and will not be an issue."

2022 voting breakdown

First round: Australia 1, Japan 3, USA 3, South Korea 4 and Qatar 11 (Australia eliminated)
Second round: Japan 2, South Korea 5, Qatar 10 and USA 5 (Japan eliminated)
Third round: South Korea 5, Qatar 11 and USA 6 (Korea Republic eliminated)
Fourth round: Qatar 14 and USA 8 (Qatar obtained an absolute majority)

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