# When will FIFA pull the plug on Qatar? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 26, 2015, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623 "2015-02-26T00:31:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/21 "2015-02-27T17:38:46Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I go back to my point about the US and others boycotting a World Cup in Qatar. There are calls for it from some media members. Is it realistic? What would it take for the US or England to withdraw? The slave labor and over a thousand worker deaths (so far) aren’t enough? A thousand deaths??? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/22 "2015-02-27T17:59:52Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I was going to start this thread the other day. The situation in Qatar is out of control. > > They’ve been using what amounts to [slave labor](http://gizmodo.com/qatars-reportedly-using-slave-labor-to-prepare-for-the-1385632218)by way of immigrants from Nepal and North Korea. > > There have been somewhere around a thousand worker deaths so far and is on course to result in [4000 total deaths](http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/26/qatar-world-cup-migrant-workers-dead). What the hell? > > If FIFA doesn’t pull the plug, should the US and others boycott? > [@Velocity](#): > > A thousand deaths??? :eek: 4000 according to **Barkis** So not knowing soccer enough to really know the ins and outs, let’s really really delve into how a boycott would work. From the top of my head: Could the US say “Hey guys, we are morally against this, so we are offering up the East Coast for anyone who wants to come”. We have stadiums in Jersey, Boston, Orlando (and probably some I’m forgetting). If enough countries seem interested, could a diligent team of wedding planers/the prom committee/that-guy-who’s-always-planning-shit come up with a feasable schedule in the time the normal world cup is going on and just improv one? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/23 "2015-02-27T18:04:08Z")
Sadly it is true that Qatar is a ridiculous choice for a Summer World Cup: - the temperatures are life-threatening to soccer players - constructing the stadiums involves slave labour and over 1,000 deaths during construction - there are many other countries with a lengthy soccer tradition that would have done a fine job. On the other hand, Qatar is jolly rich and FIFA is very corrupt. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/24 "2015-02-27T18:44:48Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > 4000 according to **Barkis** [About 1000 so far](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/23/qatar-nepal-workers-world-cup-2022-death-toll-doha). 4000 is a [projected number throughout the construction process](http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117818/qatar-2022-world-cup-pace-kill-4000-migrant-workers-says-espn). > [@](#): > > So not knowing soccer enough to really know the ins and outs, let’s really really delve into how a boycott would work. From the top of my head: Could the US say “Hey guys, we are morally against this, so we are offering up the East Coast for anyone who wants to come”. We have stadiums in Jersey, Boston, Orlando (and probably some I’m forgetting). If enough countries seem interested, could a diligent team of wedding planers/the prom committee/that-guy-who’s-always-planning-shit come up with a feasable schedule in the time the normal world cup is going on and just improv one? In a technically feasible way, sure. Don’t expect FIFA to take that lying down, though. FIFA has been known to take a dim view on players that have played in unsanctioned leagues in the past. I could easily see them swinging that same kind of stick to any players/national teams that participated. Anyone who took part could face being barred (or at least threatened with being barred) from any FIFA sanctioned event or league for some period of time. Oh, the brewhaha that would ensue if such a thing were to occur. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/25 "2015-02-27T18:49:36Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > 4000 according to **Barkis** > So not knowing soccer enough to really know the ins and outs, let’s really really delve into how a boycott would work. From the top of my head: Could the US say “Hey guys, we are morally against this, so we are offering up the East Coast for anyone who wants to come”. We have stadiums in Jersey, Boston, Orlando (and probably some I’m forgetting). If enough countries seem interested, could a diligent team of wedding planers/the prom committee/that-guy-who’s-always-planning-shit come up with a feasable schedule in the time the normal world cup is going on and just improv one? Not according to me, according to the International Trade Union Confederation. From the link in my first: > [@](#): > > Qatar’s construction frenzy ahead of the 2022 World Cup is on course to cost the lives of at least 4,000 migrant workers before a ball is kicked, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has claimed. There are already calls for a boycott for moral reasons and scheduling reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/26 "2015-02-27T19:02:06Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Not according to me, according to the International Trade Union Confederation. From the link in my first: > > There are already calls for a boycott for moral reasons and scheduling reasons. Admittedly I didn’t click on the link or read into the claim, so sorry if it seemed like I was misquoting you ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/27 "2015-02-27T20:05:40Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > Admittedly I didn’t click on the link or read into the claim, so sorry if it seemed like I was misquoting you No problem. Here’s an article that shouldn’t be funny, but it kind of is. > **[Qatar Will SCAN For Gay World Cup Fans Before They Enter Country In 2022 |...](https://www.caughtoffside.com/2015/02/25/qatar-will-scan-for-gay-world-cup-fans-before-they-enter-country-in-2022/)** > > Homosexuality is illegal is many Middle Eastern Muslim countries… Hosts of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar, along with many other Gulf states, will employ airport technology to detect homosexual people and prevent them from entering the country, according... > [@](#): > > Hosts of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar, along with many other Gulf states, will employ airport technology to detect homosexual people and prevent them from entering the country, according to LGBT Weekly. I’m unaware of such tech. Some of the LGBT community is obviously in favor of a FIFA Qatar boycott. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/28 "2015-02-27T20:15:56Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I feel silly for asking, but… what’s the average temperature in Qatar on a summer night? Is playing games after midnight even remotely feasible? From here: [Doha Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Qatar) - Weather Spark](https://weatherspark.com/averages/32878/7/Doha-Ad-Dawhah-Qatar) > [@](#): > > The month of July is characterized by essentially constant daily high temperatures, with daily highs around 106°F throughout the month, exceeding 112°F or dropping below 99°F only one day in ten. > > The daily average low (blue) and high (red) temperature with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile). > Daily low temperatures are around 88°F, falling below 82°F or exceeding 92°F only one day in ten. So no, not remotely feasible for playing high-class soccer during the day, and only somewhat feasible if you play only at night (which is impossible schedule-wise). And even then an average low of 88 is at least 8 degrees hotter than the average HIGHS in [Rio](https://weatherspark.com/averages/33421/7/Rio-de-Janeiro-Brazil)in July. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/29 "2015-02-27T21:13:35Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > No problem. > > Here’s an article that shouldn’t be funny, but it kind of is. > [Qatar Will SCAN For Gay World Cup Fans Before They Enter Country In 2022 | CaughtOffside](http://www.caughtoffside.com/2015/02/25/qatar-will-scan-for-gay-world-cup-fans-before-they-enter-country-in-2022/) > I’m unaware of such tech. Some of the LGBT community is obviously in favor of a FIFA Qatar boycott. An honest-to-god working gaydar. Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/30 "2015-02-27T21:27:40Z")
Are fully enclosed stadiums with A/C so hard? ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/31 "2015-02-27T21:28:03Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > An honest-to-god working gaydar. Brilliant! And then someone tinkers with the machine and reverses the polarity. Hijinks ensue. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/32 "2015-02-27T21:29:11Z")
If Qatar loses the World Cup, I nominate the USA, an East European nation (like Poland) or Japan as the hosts. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/33 "2015-02-27T21:31:09Z")
> [@Sir\_T-Cups](#): > > 4000 according to **Barkis** > So not knowing soccer enough to really know the ins and outs, let’s really really delve into how a boycott would work. From the top of my head: Could the US say “Hey guys, we are morally against this, so we are offering up the East Coast for anyone who wants to come”. We have stadiums in Jersey, Boston, Orlando (and probably some I’m forgetting). If enough countries seem interested, could a diligent team of wedding planers/the prom committee/that-guy-who’s-always-planning-shit come up with a feasable schedule in the time the normal world cup is going on and just improv one? So what if half the countries come but half don’t? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/34 "2015-02-27T21:36:55Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Should just pull international competition in general out of the ME. Having the world cup in Qatar is a bit too close to the ISIS cluster fuck. Qatar is a thousand kilometers, at least, from anyplace held by ISIS. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/35 "2015-02-27T22:25:53Z")
> [@duality72](#): > > In a technically feasible way, sure. Don’t expect FIFA to take that lying down, though. FIFA has been known to take a dim view on players that have played in unsanctioned leagues in the past. I could easily see them swinging that same kind of stick to any players/national teams that participated. Anyone who took part could face being barred (or at least threatened with being barred) from any FIFA sanctioned event or league for some period of time. Oh, the brewhaha that would ensue if such a thing were to occur. Sure, FIFA would fight it, but so what? Except for temporary spurts of brilliance, the consistently best world-class soccer teams come from Europe and South America. Should those groups get together and decide “to hell with FIFA”, what would it matter what FIFA said? Why should they care? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/36 "2015-02-27T22:28:23Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Sure, FIFA would fight it, but so what? Except for temporary spurts of brilliance, the consistently best world-class soccer teams come from Europe and South America. Should those groups get together and decide “to hell with FIFA”, what would it matter what FIFA said? Why should they care? Well, of course, FIFA oversees all of the leagues around the world as well. It’d be quite a painful transition if some Confederations, or Leagues, were going to leave FIFA. It’s far more than just having an alternate World Cup. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/37 "2015-02-27T23:50:02Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Are fully enclosed stadiums with A/C so hard? Nah, we’ll just work 4,000 more slaves to death. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/38 "2015-02-28T00:23:17Z")
Sounds to me like really it’s _ **FIFA** ’s_ plug that needs to be pulled… ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/39 "2015-02-28T02:20:48Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > From here: [Doha Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Qatar) - Weather Spark](https://weatherspark.com/averages/32878/7/Doha-Ad-Dawhah-Qatar) > > So no, not remotely feasible for playing high-class soccer during the day, and only somewhat feasible if you play only at night (which is impossible schedule-wise). And even then an average low of 88 is at least 8 degrees hotter than the average HIGHS in [Rio](https://weatherspark.com/averages/33421/7/Rio-de-Janeiro-Brazil)in July. The real fun comes when you roll humidity into it. During those average lows of 88, the humidity is in the 85-90% range, according to the chart lower down at your link. I plug 88 F and 85% RH into a [heat index calculator](http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex.shtml) and get a heat index of 110. Have fun. About the worker deaths, I thought that was par for the course in Persian Gulf states’ construction projects? Are the Qatar facilities really out of whack as far as accidents/man-hour? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2015, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623/40 "2015-02-28T05:44:02Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > Here’s an article that shouldn’t be funny, but it kind of is. > [Qatar Will SCAN For Gay World Cup Fans Before They Enter Country In 2022 | CaughtOffside](http://www.caughtoffside.com/2015/02/25/qatar-will-scan-for-gay-world-cup-fans-before-they-enter-country-in-2022/) > > > [@](#): > > > > Hosts of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar, along with many other Gulf states, will employ airport technology to detect homosexual people and prevent them from entering the country, according to LGBT Weekly. I’m totally picturing an _Airplane!_-style scene where some flirty-looking guy gets pushed up against the wall after the X-ray machine’s purple triangle light goes off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-will-fifa-pull-the-plug-on-qatar/713623.md?page=3)