President Obama criticizes decision to award Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup hosting rights
US President Barack Obama has called FIFA’s choice of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup the “wrong decision”. The verdict was announced live on ESPN by FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Thursday, December 2, in Zurich, Switzerland.
The United States was competing with Qatar, as well as other nations, for the chance to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
“Not awarding the US bid to host world cup 2022 was a wrong decision,” said President Obama when asked about FIFA’s choice.
Obama, along with thousands of American soccer fans, had been very enthusiastically backing the US bid for FIFA 2010. A video message from Obama had been part of the United States’ presentation to FIFA. Former US President Bill
Clinton also lent his support to the US bid, acting as honorary chairman of the bid committee and working for the campaign both nationally and internationally. He, along with actor Morgan Freeman, made the pitch for the US at the bid ceremony in Zurich.
“I really thought we had the best bid,” said Clinton after the decision.
US fans, of course, are extremely disappointed by FIFA’s announcement. Former US football star Alexi Lalas expressed the hope that Qatar might need a backup host for the successful execution of the plan. “If Qatar can’t do it,”
he said, “it’s coming right to the US.”
Tags: