Qatar, FIFA In Discussions For Hosting Rights To Club, U17, U20 World Cups

Qatar is "in discussion with FIFA" to host several major int'l tournaments ahead of the 2022 World Cup including the Club World Cup currently held by Real Madrid, according to the AFP. The Gulf state "could also be the venue" for the U17 and U20 World Cups. Sources said that all three tournament options are currently being considered by the Qatari authorities and FIFA, and "all three could be staged in the Gulf." Qatar is "urgently looking for test events to try out the multi-billion dollar infrastructure it is putting in place." But unlike other recent World Cup hosts, Qatar will not have the advantage of staging the Confederations Cup, traditionally played 12 months before as a "rehearsal for the main event." Concerns about Qatar's "fiercely hot summers" -- which prompted FIFA to move the World Cup from June-July to November-December that year -- also meant football's governing body "ruled out playing the 2021 Confederations Cup in Doha" (AFP, 4/4).