Page 8 - Fifa World Cup 2022

Here's all you need to know about $300 bn controversial Qatar World Cup

It's set to the biggest sporting event ever held in the Middle East -- and in a conservative, majority-Muslim country to boot.

Sale of beer with alcohol to be banned at Qatar World Cup stadiums

The sale of all beer with alcohol at the eight World Cup stadiums was banned Friday, only two days before the soccer tournament is set to start. Non-alcoholic beer will still be sold at the 64 matches in the country. Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from ... stadium perimeters, FIFA said in a statement. Champagne, wine, whiskey and other alcohol is still expected to be served in the luxury hospitality areas of the stadiums. Outside of those places, beer is normally the only alcohol sold to regular ticket holders. Ab InBev, the parent company of World Cup beer sponsor Budweiser, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. AB InBev pays tens of millions of dollars at each World Cup for exclusive rights to sell beer and has already shipped the majority of its stock from Britain t

FIFA World Cup Group C and D analysis: Argentina, Denmark to make headlines

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar: Here's a detailed analysis of which two teams will qualify for the knockouts from Group C and D of the tournament

FIFA World Cup 2022 Group A and B analysis: England, Netherlands favourites

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar: Here's a detailed analysis of which two teams will qualify for the knockouts from Group A and B of the tournament

Why FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on Sunday, will be one of its kind

Qatar on yellow card with accusations of sportswashing, curbs on fan freedom; many high-profile players to retire

Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022: 'Sports should not be politicised', says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that "sports should not be politicised," days after it was announced to criticism that he would attend the World Cup in Qatar if France reaches the semifinals. Speaking in Bangkok, Macron said issues about Qatar's human rights record and the environment were "questions you have to ask yourself when you award the event." Qatar won the hosting rights for this year's tournament in a FIFA vote in 2010. The World Cup has sparked multiple controversies from the living conditions of migrant workers to the impact on the environment of air-conditioned stadiums and the place of LGBTQ people, women and minorities. The first World Cup to be held in an Arab country opens on Sunday. On Monday, the presidential Elysee said Macron will go to the Qatar if the country's national team reaches the semifinals, specifying that the French president "wrote them a message" to this effect. Last month, the city of Paris said it will not broadcast World Cu

Jio announces new international roaming plans ahead of Fifa world cup 2022

The plans launched by Jio for Fifa world cup 2022 will be functional in Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia

Fifa World Cup could be viewed by 5 bn people: President Gianni Infantino

While attending the ongoing G20 Summit held in Bali, Indonesia, Infantino called on world leaders to set aside tensions and conflicts, and enjoy the quadrennial football event

Fifa World Cup 2022 in Qatar will be great football but an ugly game

The next few weeks will be a reminder of how the clash in values of the liberal West and the rich Arab states can play out in the international arena to everyone's dissatisfaction

How the Fifa World Cup 2022 rebuilt a market for dodgy carbon credits

World Cup organizers have pledged to erase the event's negative environmental impact. They plan to make the event "carbon neutral" by buying offsets

FIFA World Cup 2022: How to get tickets, reach Qatar, watch the game live

FIFA World Cup 2022: Know all the information about how to get tickets for Qatar 2022, how to reach Doha, and how to watch the matches on TV, mobile phones, and laptops in India

Fifa WC 2022: Leverkusen says giving World Cup to Qatar was 'scandalous'

Bayer Leverkusen became the latest Bundesliga club to criticize the World Cup in Qatar by describing the decision to award the tournament to the country as "scandalous" on Tuesday. "The World Cup should never have been awarded to Qatar," Leverkusen said in a statement. "It was the least suitable of all applications for hosting a World Cup according to FIFA's own audit reports. Out of eight new World Cup stadiums, seven were new-build projects. Football culture does not exist in Qatar. From our perspective, that is a knockout criterion for a potential World Cup host." Leverkusen's statement also referred to widely reported issues of homophobia, the lack of freedom of expression and denial of women's rights plus the "unacceptable working conditions" endured by migrant workers in Qatar while helping the country get ready to host the 32-team tournament. "Questions ignored in the award of this tournament 12 years ago on the human rights situation, on equality and the freedom of expressi

Shops in Iran, including Tehran's Grand Bazaar, close over protests

Iranian shops in Tehran's historic Grand Bazaar and elsewhere across the country closed their doors Tuesday amid protests gripping the nation, as two prominent soccer stars also announced they would not be attending the upcoming World Cup over the demonstrations. The shop closures came amid calls for a three-day national strike to mark earlier protests in 2019 against Iran's theocracy that ended in a violent crackdown by authorities. However, this round of demonstrations after the September death of a 22-year-old woman earlier detained by the country's morality police have continued despite activists recording at least 344 deaths and 15,820 arrests so far. The protests have seen prominent former players Ali Daei and Javad Nekounam both say they've declined a FIFA invitation to attend the World Cup in Qatar, where Iran will play. Shuttered storefronts could be seen across Tehran, Iran's capital, on Tuesday. Several shops did remain open, however, as a heavy security presence could be

Fifa WC 2022: Ronaldo 'thrilled' with Portugal's new generation of players

Cristiano Ronaldo knows a thing or two about World Cups. He has played in four of them and is about to make it to a record-tying fifth this month in Qatar. Ronaldo also knows when he sees something promising, and he believes this time there is reason to feel optimistic about the chances of a talented Portugal squad that mixes the right amount of experience and youth as it tries to win its first World Cup title. "The squad for this World Cup is a great mix of experienced players and young rising stars, and I hope we can show the world what this Portugal team is capable of at the very highest level of the world game," Ronaldo told The Associated Press ahead of the launch of his inaugural NFT collection with cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance. The collection will be available Friday, just before the World Cup starts, and the bidding price for some of the collectibles related to the soccer star will begin at the equivalent of about $10,000. The NFTs will feature seven animated statu

Germany's Lahm says it was 'mistake' to award World Cup 2022 to Qatar

Seven days before the World Cup is due to start in Qatar, former Germany captain Philipp Lahm says it was a mistake to award the tournament to the Gulf Arab country. Lahm, who is head of Germany's organizing committee for the 2024 European Championship, wrote Sunday in a column for Zeit Online that the World Cup does not belong in Qatar and he criticized the human rights situation in the nation. Lahm acknowledged some progress but homosexuals are still being criminalized, women do not have the same rights as men, and there are restrictions on freedom of the press and expression. He added that conditions for migrant workers are devastating. Lahm, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, slammed FIFA for awarding the tournament to Qatar in 2010 when he says there were better candidates available. FIFA has damaged soccer and its credibility as a western organization, said Lahm, who also questioned Qatar's enthusiasm for the sport. Soccer isn't a popular sport in Qatar and there's

Fifa world cup: Saudi Arabia drops al-Mowallad from squad over doping test

Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard has dropped Fahd al-Mowallad from his 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar as a precaution due to the winger's failed doping test in February. Al-Mowallad had been included in Renard's squad for the tournament despite testing positive for furosemide, which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned drug list due to concerns it can mask other drugs. But the team said Sunday that it was dropping Al-Mowallad, who plays for Saudi team Al-Shabab, as a precaution as there is still a case against him, and that Renard had called up Al-Shabab teammate Nawaf Al-Abed in his place. Saudi Arabia faces a tough task is Group C, where it opens its campaign on Nov. 22 against Argentina, four days before it plays Poland, before its final group game against Mexico on Nov. 30.

Indian Embassy in Qatar launches helpline for FIFA World Cup 2022 fans

The football showpiece event, the first to be held in the Middle East, will kick off on November 20, in which 32 teams will compete. The final will be held on December 18 at Lusail Stadium.

Byju's ropes in Messi as global brand ambassador for its social initiative

Earlier this year, edtech giant Byju's became the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar

Qatar gives fans paid trips to sing at FIFA World Cup 2022 ceremony

Up to 1,600 fans of the teams that qualified for this year's World Cup are being recruited for an all expenses-paid trip to Qatar to sing in the opening ceremony and stay for at least two weeks promoting positive social media content about the soccer tournament and the host nation. Fans from each of the 32 teams are needed for a five-minute, fan-themed section of the ceremony before Qatar plays Ecuador in the opening match on Nov. 20. They will perform a chant or song specific to each country, chosen by the organizers, according to documents seen by The Associated Press. "We will share with you the chant/song selected from your country to ensure you are familiar with it," organizers told the fans. The program has excluded persons with obvious political affiliation and aims to recruit 30 to 50 supporters from each team who were able to show their status as a purist fan, the documents state. The camera will focus on each national fan group in turn, the recruits have been told about t

Planning to visit Qatar for FIFA 2022 World Cup? Here's where to stay

People making last-minute plans have a wide range of options - from all-inclusive, five-star hotels to hostel-like rooms for $80 a night