FIFA World Cup News, Stats, Scores

In 2015, a crew of four journalists from the BBC were arrested and held for two days after they attempted to report on the condition of workers in the country. The reporters had been invited to visit the country as guests of the Government of Qatar. In May 2014, Sepp Blatter, who was FIFA president at the time of the selection but later banned for illegal payments, remarked that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was a "mistake" because of the extreme heat. However, while addressing delegates from African and Asian confederations, Blatter said allegations of corruption and some of the criticism, including those from sponsors, were "very much linked to racism and discrimination". In January 2019, Infantino said that FIFA was exploring the possibility of having neighbouring countries host matches during the tournament, in order to reduce political tensions. Although, by April 2017, FIFA had yet to finalise the number of stadiums Qatar must have readied in five years' time, Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said it expected there would be eight in and near Doha .

World Cups feature official match balls specially designed for each tournament. After Slazenger produced the ball for the 1966 World Cup Adidas became the official supplier to FIFA. Each World Cup also has an official song, which have been performed by artists ranging from Shakira to Will Smith. Other songs, such as “Nessun dorma”, performed by The Three Tenors at four World Cup concerts, have also become identified with the tournament. Since the 1958 FIFA World Cup, to avoid future boycotts or controversy, FIFA began a pattern of alternating the hosts between the Americas and Europe, which continued until the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by South Korea and Japan, was the first one held in Asia, and the first tournament with multiple hosts.

The position for the team within the group would then be drawn , with the pot 1 teams automatically drawn into position 1 of each group. The bidding procedure to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups began in January 2009, and national associations had until 2 February 2009 to register their interest. Indonesian officials had not ruled out a bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, until Qatar was awarded the 2022 tournament. During the bidding process, all non-UEFA nations gradually withdrew their 2018 bids, thus guaranteeing that a UEFA nation would host the 2018 tournament and thereby making UEFA nations ineligible for the 2022 bid. An investigation by The Guardian newspaper claimed that many workers are denied food and water, have their identity papers taken away from them, and that they are not paid on time or at all, making some of them in effect slaves.

According to company spokesperson Gerdien Vloet, one reason for this decision was the accusations of human rights abuses. As "the game is getting faster" and "speeds up", Adidas used some new features, allowing to provide speed and improve the accuracy of the ball. Tom Dunmore, Historical Dictionary of Soccer, page 235, quote "The World Cup is now the most-watched sporting event in the world on television, above even the Olympic Games." Forming a partnership with FIFA in 1970, Panini published its first sticker album for the 1970 World Cup.

In March 2014, it was discovered that disgraced former CONCACAF president Jack Warner and his family were paid almost $2 million from a firm linked to Qatar's successful campaign. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating Warner and his alleged links to the Qatari bid. The Guardian estimated that, by the time the competition would be held, without reforms of the kafala system, out of the 2 million-strong migrant workforce up to 4,000 workers could die due to lax safety and other causes. These claims were based upon the fact that 522 Nepalese workers and over 700 Indian workers had died since 2010, when Qatar's bid as World Cup's host had been won, about 250 Indian workers dying each year.

Most Qatari nationals avoid doing manual work or low-skilled jobs; additionally, they are given preference at the workplace. Michael van Praag, president of the Royal Dutch Football Association, requested the FIFA Executive Committee to pressure Qatar over those allegations to ensure better workers' conditions. He also stated that a new vote on the attribution of the World Cup to Qatar would have to take place if the corruption allegations were to be proved. Unlike previous FIFA World Cups, which are typically played in June and July, the 2022 World Cup will be played in November and December to avoid the intense Qatari summer heat. In contrast, domestic leagues which typically start their seasons in the northern spring and play through the summer, such as Major League Soccer, will be able to conclude their seasons before the start of the tournament. Miroslav Klose of Germany (2002–2014) is the all-time top scorer at the World Cup with 16 goals.

Unlike at Euro 2020, there will be a third-place play-off game on December 17. Rugby World Cup host locations confirmed through to 2033 World Rugby has confirmed the locations for the next three women’s and two men’s Rugby World Cups as it accelerates global development and growth. Steeped in sporting history, the SCG has been providing a wealth of entertainment for... Argentina got to the final by scraping results together in 2014, and largely because of Lionel Messi. The World Cup was and still is the only trophy missing from his cabinet, and in 2014 he had to beat Germany to get it. But it would not matter in the end, as France led by Zinedine Zidane, won 3-0.