Infantino asserts FIFA 2022 World Cup will be in Qatar

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday made it clear that the 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar despite the ongoing diplomatic crisis facing the 2022 hosts.

Speaking on the sidelines of the seventh FIFA Executive Football Summits of the 2017-18 series held at the Shangri-La

Barr al Jissah Resort & Spa on Wednesday, Infantino said, “There is no doubt that 2022 World Cup is taking place in Qatar. I also hope that there would be broad collaboration and cooperation for the World Cup between the countries in the region. At the end of the day, this is a World Cup for the whole region. Everything is on track for the Qatar World Cup”

He said that the recent 23rd Gulf Cup held in Kuwait is an example of how football can play a role in bringing nations together.

“I congratulate Oman on winning the Gulf Cup. The tournament is a clear example of how football can help as all the eight countries took part even though at times, there are issues beyond football between the nations.

“I was there to attend the opening of the Gulf Cup in Kuwait and to see all the teams playing together and celebrating football together, this is what all the people in the Gulf region want. Other topics, we leave it for politics, but football is something we can play together and enjoy together.”

In the biggest diplomatic crisis in the region in years, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, plus Egypt and Yemen, announced in June last year that they were cutting all ties with Qatar.

Qatar will be hosting World Cup between November 21 and December 18, 2022.

On the forthcoming World Cup in Russia, Infantino was confident that it would be the best ever.

“It will be a fantastic World Cup this summer. Russia is ready to host the best 32 teams of the world. Of course, some big names are missing but that’s football and that’s why we love football as well even if it makes us cry some times. I am sure we will experience the best World Cup ever.”

NEW WORLD LEAGUE FOR WOMEN PROPOSED

The FIFA Executive Football Summit in Muscat discussed various issues and Gianni Infantino reiterated that there would be 48 teams playing in the 2026 World Cup. He said that a new FIFA competition for women is on the anvil. “We plan to have a Women’s World League, an official FIFA competition and also looking at a change in format of the youth competitions. We may have a new U18 World Cup in place of U17 and U20 every two years. We may increase the number of teams and play it annually,” said the FIFA boss.

He said that the summits give him an opportunity to listen to different sports associations and speak to them. “There are a series of summits. At the end we would collect the ideas and then put them forward for a final decision to develop the game.”

On developing women’s football in the region, Infantino said, “There are initiatives, which begin with spreading awareness and associations are given funds to develop. We have a Forward programme and there is a process. We have to respect traditions in different parts of the world. Not every part of the world are same. But FIFA is committed to investing and developing women’s football in every corner of the world.”

On 2026 World Cup, he said that all the 211 member associations will have the right to vote for the host country for the first time and FIFA is determined that the bidding is done in a transparent manner.

A total of 22 countries took part in the Muscat summit.