FIFA says ‘in contact’ with Qatar regarding 2022 World Cup

DOHA, Qatar (Kurdistan24) – World football’s governing body FIFA on Monday revealed it was in “regular contact” with the organizing committee of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but did not comment on the recent diplomatic situation.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and other nations cut ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing the country of supporting terrorism.

Qatar denied assertions made against it, labeling the decision from its neighboring countries to sever ties “unjustified” and with “no basis in fact.”

In an emailed statement to Reuters, FIFA said it was “in regular contact with the Qatar 2022 Local Organizing Committee and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy handling matters relating to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”

“We have no further comments for the time being,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s local World Cup organizing committee and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) refused to comment.

Qatar is currently involved in the qualifying stages for the 2018 World Cup in Russia next summer and could potentially face both Saudi Arabia or the UAE if they qualify for the next round.

The diplomatic row might impact preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, according to Reuters.

Leading up to its hosting of the World Cup, Qatar is expected to hold multiple events across different sports—72 events, 39 of which will be international competitions.

Qatar’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup “is the centerpiece of a carefully crafted strategy to project [the country] on to the global stage via sport.”

Editing by G. H. Renaud