Who sanctioned Qatar's World Cup hosting rights?

The World Cup should never have gone to Qatar, but who will tell that to corrupt FIFA officials? (Photo credit: FIFA)

There are lots of stories coming out from different quarters about the choice of Qatar as the host of the 2022 World Cup and the eventual consequence of a winter showpiece.

A Netflix movie, titled FIFA explains a lot about the corruption that saw Russia and Qatar win the hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 editions of football’s greatest event, and the entire process will forever be criticized across all spheres of influence.

A certain community that used to be in the minority but now growing increasingly (LGBT) has refused to accept the decision of the host nation to deprive them of their rights and alcoholic beverages have also voiced their concerns but who makes the rule in the end?

Human rights activists have cried enough about thousands of lives that were lost in the course of stadium erection and the men in charge don’t feel a need to address the pains of the bereaved; this leads to the ultimate question: How did Qatar win the bid?

Lots of money changed hands according to rumors and the rest of the world now has to pay the price for some people’s selfishness. To think clubs find it hard to release African players during the Africa Cup of Nations but a whole World Cup is about to be staged in the middle of a football season, is ironic!

Players are getting to play too many games and this adverse effect is about to affect the World Cup. Players like N’golo Kante, Paul Pogba, and Sadio Mane will miss the tournament due to injuries and we expect the weekend games to produce fresh names that will miss the event.

What then is the fate of club managers who might have to watch their players avoid tackles in league games this weekend in a bid not to risk injuries? With national team coaches releasing their squad lists, how many players will dive into tackles knowing a place in Qatar is at stake?

Every man has a price but at what point does the greater good come into play? Who sanctioned a tournament that won’t only disrupt the entire football calendar but also jeopardize the health of the gladiators?

The World Cup is upon us and we’ll enjoy every moment but, when we’re screaming to celebrate goals and shouting the loudest to protest referee decisions, we must not forget to spare thoughts for families that lost lives for the World Cup to happen.