FIFA's Independent Investigation Not Authorized To Remove 2022 World Cup From Qatar

A "senior source" at FIFA said that its independent ethics committee "has no power to remove the 2022 World Cup from Qatar," regardless of the "outcome of its investigation," according to the PA. Ethics investigator Michael Garcia "is conducting an investigation into the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, leading to some speculation that Qatar's hosting of the 2022 event could be under threat." Even if "wrongdoing is uncovered by Garcia, the ethics committee can only sanction individuals -- it has no power over FIFA's decisions." The source said, "If Garcia finds something which was wrong, the ethics committee has the right to take sanctions. But does he have the right to say: 'based on what I have found the World Cup should not be played in Qatar?' No, he does not have that right" (PA, 11/14).