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Awarding the World Cup 2022 to Qatar has caused many controversies and shook FIFA to the core since the announcement. Qatar has also been under heavy scrutiny. The most attention was due to its discriminatory laws toward the LGBTQ+ community and the poor treatment of migrant workers. Despite all these unfortunate events, the preparations for the tournament are moving forward.
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As the tournament gets closer, it seems that fans are quick to forget all the negative that occurred in the past several years. It appears that all the scandals haven't done any real damage to the tournament's popularity. Even once reluctant sponsors are being swept in by the powerful machine that is football.
New sponsorships are lining up as well, including the latest with Algorand. The blockchain technology provider will also sponsor the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. This only affirms the undeniable power the World Cup has over its fans.
Some groups have claimed they won't be attending the World Cup 2022 in Qatar because of moral and safety issues. As a response, Qatar has tried to reassure all the concerned parties. They are claiming that everyone is welcome and safe, but there is a mandate to abide by domestic laws when in public. LGBTQ+ symbols will be allowed regardless of the current Qatari law. Though, public displays of affection should be avoided to show respect for Qatari culture.
FIFA has also faced criticism on these issues. President Gianni Infantino said that they have urged Qatar authorities to install changes on human rights.
He also mentioned that this tournament will be something the world has never seen before. The application requests for tickets and the high popularity of the sport are backing his claim so far.
According to FIFA, there were 23.5 million requests for tickets in the latest sales round. The highest numbers come from Argentina, Brazil, France, England, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. The demand grew even higher with the finalized World Cup draw, revealing the location, time, and pairings.
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The most sought-after was the final game and some group games like:
- Argentina vs Mexico,
- England vs The United States,
- Argentina vs Saudi Arabia,
- Poland vs Argentina.
Just for the England vs the United States game, there were 1.4 million application requests for the tickets.
Even in the US, the demand for "soccer" is on the rise. While still lagging behind the big four sports, soccer has been gaining in popularity. For almost a decade, soccer has been viewed as a sport of the future, and a survey by morningconsult.com confirms that this is still the case. The results have revealed that 1 in 3 adults considers themselves a soccer fan. The survey has also shown that soccer fans in the US are younger and more diverse than the average sports fan.
The latest news that North America will host the FIFA World Cup 2026 is bound to garner even more interest in soccer in the US.