The FIFA Fail

On December 1^st, 2010 it was announced that the FIFA World Cup would be hosted by Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. Immediately following the announcement, there was an internet uproar regarding the decision.  I decided to analyze this decision from a public relations perspective and then from a sports marketing point of view.

Although I am not an avid soccer fan, I do like to watch the occasional game. The 2010 World Cup was amazing to watch and even through the television screen, it was an epic experience. Yet when I read about the locations the committee decided to pick for 2018 and 2022, I was shocked and confused. It was only 20 years ago that David Hasselhoff sang on the crumbling Berlin Wall and I honestly don’ think that 80% of Americans can point to Qatar on a map. So why would the committee choose such controversial locations. I believe the answer is simple; the committee was rooting for the underdogs. With bids from the Belgium-Netherlands for 2018 and a very strong bid from the United States for 2022, the underdogs prevailed. With the example of selecting South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup, the President, 74-year-old Seep Blatter, wants to represent world class soccer as “without politics;” that the committee does not only choose soccer-loving nations but also the countries with growing economies and social growth.

“We go to new lands,” said President Blatter of his decision.  I believe that choosing Qatar is an extremely risky move for FIFA. Not only is the country smaller than Connecticut and has less inhabitants than the city of Dallas, Texas, they did not even participate in the most recent world cup. To prepare for the 2022 World cup, they will have to undergo $50 billion worth of infrastructure upgrades and then another $4 billion on top of that to build nine world-class stadiums. This small country will be invaded by tourist, I wonder if Qatar’s tourist industry and police force will be ready. Will there be social dissonance during the games; will the inhabitants be able to deal with the influx of Western society into their culture?

I will admit that part of me thinks these are brilliant selections. As we learn in every public relations and marketing class, controversy equals coverage. The monetary goal of the world cup is to sell tickets to the games. With the controversy already elevated, this makes these two world cups even more intriguing and increases their chances of selling tickets, obtaining advertisements and the best television spots.

Overall, I would commend the World Cup committee on their lofty choice of these two locations. They are succeeding in their goal to showcase world-class soccer to a new audience, but I believe in doing so, they alienate a huge portion of their audience and could possibly have negative repercussions that we have yet to see.