https://www.statista.com/statistics/268874/fifa-net-income/ has them at revenues of $734 million with a net loss of $191 million last year (unsurprisingly, World Cup years are massive for them financially):did I hear right that FIFA made a $15B PROFIT last year?
Who knows by 2022, but right now you can't fly directly from either Dubai or Israel into Qatar.I'm so disappointed about it being in Qatar. I can't imagine going there. I think the hotel situation is going to be a mess. There isn't even a reasonably close city you could stay and go in and out except maybe Dubai or possibly somewhere in Israel. Istanbul theoretically. I guess the good news is that the stadiums will be all be centrally located and so you won't need to move around a lot.
Oh, right, I forgot about that. Yeah, it's a long way off, but I assume that if things continue the way they are going in that region, Qatar's neighbors will be even more happy not less to make things difficult during the World Cup. I understand that Saudi Arabia is planning to dig a canal along its border to try to turn Qatar into an island.Who knows by 2022, but right now you can't fly directly from either Dubai or Israel into Qatar.
Most of Mexico's top players play in Europe. They'd take a major hit if they were forced to play with only domestic-based players. You'd basically see no change for Mexico relative to the field - even in this hypothetical tournament they'd be a middle-of-the-road team. And that's assuming Liga MX teams would even release their top players, since the timing of this tournament would overlap with the Apertura playoff.Say all the major Euro leagues and composite teams band together and told their players you have to stay here and play the league games to get paid, and it was effective, who would be the favorites? Russia? Mexico? US without Pulisic? Turkey? Brazil with their 4th deep team?
Meanwhile Alexi Lalas and co. will be waxing poetic about how great it is because FIFA handed Fox the 2026 rights to compensate for what a shitshow it actually is.The Qatar situation really does feel like the bottom of the barrel for FIFA corruption, with the exception of them just rewarding a World Cup Championship to the highest bidder or something like that. I mean seriously, the stupidest thing they could do to the 2022 World Cup was hold in Qatar and that is what they did! It's so obvious this was one of the worst locations on earth to host the tournament, but they greased the palms of enough people and all of sudden it's headed for Qatar. I'm sure the games will be entertaining; but outside of that the tournament is going to suck for everyone involved in the game, from the players to the leagues to the fans.
Looks like Bratislava has a brand new 23,000 person stadium opening this summer.Yeah, I agree, though I don't like the Pan-Europe concept. I would like to see regional hosting for Euro. I think a Scandinavian tournament could work. Maybe a northern baltics if they could swing it -- maybe too big an ask but I think a tournament in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania would be excellent. But maybe best of all if it could be made to happen would be a Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia tournament. Probably would have to add Austria or Poland to make it work but that would be a really excellent tournament if they could make it happen. Maybe Slovenia if they have any usable stadiums in Bratislava. We don't need more Spain, France or Germany Euros. Well, maybe Spain. But I guess it's going to be Turkey next.
I like that there will be not automatic qualification for Euro 2020. Maybe the WC 2026 will follow suit. And maybe Qatar getting an automatic qualification will be such a farce that the concept will be done away with. I think it's part of the impediment to more interesting tournaments.
I just got confused. Looks like it's not really feasible. The next Euro that will go up for bid is 2028 and I doubt that stadiums of less than 40 or 50k will really be in the running, absent like Iceland getting a game or something unique as part of a northern Europe bid.And Ljublana, which is I what I think you meant to reference with Slovenia
Making the project bigger seems like a great idea. Good thing all the countries in that region have a great history of diplomacy.So Infantino wants to expand the World Cup to 48 teams as soon as 2022, with Qatar now sharing the hosting responsibilities with other Middle Eastern countries:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46042794
Riiiight. This is going to go down really well.
I can only imagine the bribes that will be given to get to play away from Qatar.So Infantino wants to expand the World Cup to 48 teams as soon as 2022, with Qatar now sharing the hosting responsibilities with other Middle Eastern countries:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46042794
Riiiight. This is going to go down really well.
If you have chance to play in Dubai or Bahrain instead of Qatar, don't you do it?Making the project bigger seems like a great idea. Good thing all the countries in that region have a great history of diplomacy.
Very clear now that the Saudis have bought Infantino. Not that I'm shocked, but it is disappointing to see FIFA go this way when there was a possibility of becoming a respectable organization after Blatter's fall.“Maybe football is a way to build bridges. We have seen as well with the bidding for 2026, the right to organise the World Cup was awarded to three countries [the USA, Canada and Mexico] which I think also don’t have the very best political or diplomatic relationships. But football makes miracles, as we know.”
A grenade kind of looks like an apple, no?Comparing the US and Canada relationship to Qatar and Saudi Arabia isn’t exactly an apples to apples comparison.