World Cup Controversy:

By Lyle D.

It has been said about Qatar that the climate is the furthest thing from hospitable for even a high intensity board game. The temperature in Qatar can reach 120°F from May through September,  and these are the months that the World Cup is normally held. Because of the heat, this year's World Cup has been moved to the winter time. Qatar is in the northern hemisphere and is near the equator.  In November through December, the weather in Qatar is 80° but still feels like a desert climate. The World Cup is never played in November, but FIFA made the controversial decision to change the date. It was hard for FIFA to find a time for the World Cup because of the weather and conflicts.

It was hard for FIFA to find a date because of all the other conflicts in the schedule. The other things in the schedule were the Olympics in January-February.  Also Qatar celebrates Ramadan, which is a one-month religious holiday in April. There were conflicts with the Premier League too. Although May-September would be free, the weather is just not tolerable for the fans and players. 

FIFA had to worry about the fans and the players being affected by the heat. Although the stadium had solar powered fans to cool the fans and players off, it was still very hot. Some of the stadiums in Qatar can hold 45,000 people, so all the body heat from the people make it super hot in the stadium. 

When FIFA was choosing where the World Cup was going to be, Qatar outbid the US, Japan and Australia to host the 2022 World Cup. There were allegations that Qatar bribed FIFA and that is how Qatar was picked, according to NPR.

Despite the many controversies associated with the Qatar World Cup, the game plays on. The championship will be held Sunday, Dec. 18 between Argentina and France.