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FIFA Delays Decision On 2022 Qatar World Cup Stadiums Until Early Next Year

Tournament officials said that FIFA "delayed a decision" on finalizing the number of stadiums to be used during the 2022 Qatar World Cup until next year, according to the AFP. A final decision "was expected before the end of this month," but following a meeting in Doha of the Qatar 2022 Local Organizing Committee, the body overseeing preparations for the controversial tournament, that number "will be fixed in January." Qatar 2022 Organizing Committee Assistant General Secretary Nasser al-Khater said, "There was an agreement about deciding the number of stadiums for the World Cup by the end of this year but because of the importance of this matter, we decided to postpone the decision." The final decision "will be taken" by FIFA. It "has been widely predicted that only eight stadiums will be used in Qatar, though the initial bid allowed for up to 12." If eight is agreed, it "will be the smallest number of venues used at a World Cup finals since Argentina in 1978, where games were played at just six different stadiums" (AFP, 12/9). DOHA NEWS' Peter Kovessy wrote work "is currently underway on six of Qatar’s World Cup stadiums." The first, a refurbishment of Khalifa Int'l Stadium, "is scheduled to be completed late next year." That "puts Qatar’s stadium construction on schedule, according to FIFA officials, who say they expect all of Qatar’s World Cup venues to be completed by 2020." FIFA Dir of Competitions Colin Smith said, "The timeline is great. [There is] no suggestion at the moment that there are delays to that timeline." Officials said that "the compact nature of Qatar’s World Cup will be good for fans, who will be able to attend more matches than at previous tournaments" (DOHA NEWS, 12/9). AL BAWABA reported also discussed within the meeting "were sustainability-related topics, including the subject of workers’ welfare and the commitments made by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to ensure the safety of the workers involved in the construction of the FIFA World Cup stadiums" (AL BAWABA, 12/9).

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