would you Boycott the World Cup?

After all the shocking stories in the last 24 hours about FIFA, if Qatar do host the 2022 World Cup should the UEFA Nations boycott the tournament?

I personally think we should boycott, sadly though I think it is too late to do anything about Russia 2018

Don't think anyone can justify voting no tomorrow.

Their should be another vote for the 2022 world cup regardless of whether Qatar like it or not.


I would honestly like to see a break away organisation away from FIFA, its what we've always known corrupt to the core.

I think if the UEFA countries stand united and say that they won't play qualification or go to the World Cup Qatar unless it is pulled then FIFA would crumble especially in light of the recent indictments. I mean Qatar is completely unsuitable for a World Cup, we know they bought the cup by giving out the most bribes of anyone, and I am sorry they use de facto slave labor dying by the score. Not to mention all the other human rights issues involved in these odious oil sheikdoms

It shows how hard faced Blatter is, wont resign, and still wants to be re-elected, the people who are voting for him must be as corrupt as him.
Horrible self righteous individual detested throughout football.

Qatar World Cup must be boycotted for the good of the game.

Form a breakaway World football organisation, and if it ends up in court FIFA will still be in crisis, they will realise World football has shown a vote of no confidence in them.

The way I see it is that papers seized in the raid prove corruption was involved in South Africa getting the World Cup and FIFA awarded that so surely that should deem them unfit from that point on to award tournaments but since they've done so those decisions should automatically be reversed. Lets be honest here - Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world so I'd bet a fair bet of money passed hands and Russia are also willing to dig deep to get such events as well.

Frankly, FIFA has lost the last credibility it may have had left and something must be done. Either Blatter resigns (won't happen), he is not re-elected (won't happen as he has friends in far flung places that will vote him back in) or FIFA is disbanded or UEFA nations boycott FIFA tournaments in protest.

CaledonianCraig wrote:The way I see it is that papers seized in the raid prove corruption was involved in South Africa getting the World Cup and FIFA awarded that so surely that should deem them unfit from that point on to award tournaments but since they've done so those decisions should automatically be reversed. Lets be honest here - Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world so I'd bet a fair bet of money passed hands and Russia are also willing to dig deep to get such events as well..

It's not as simple as that. Even if evidence is found that the bidding process for Russia and Qatar was corrupt, to reverse the decisions now would have a lot of consequences.

Both Qatar and Russia will have spent millions towards the hosting of the World Cup as well as the millions spent by corporate sponsors, the fallout from removing the World Cups from them would be huge, the amount of legal challenges born from it I imagine would be ridiculous.

You've also got to think of the possible political consequences of the US FBI removing the World Cup from Russia, considering relations between those countries is not fantastic at the moment, it could take a pot that is already stirred up and just knock it over.

It's also stupid, but arguably fair, to say that only with evidence that the other processes were corrupt should they be acted on. You can't say that because South Africa was corrupt, so were those two, even though they obviously were. Then you've got the issue of that by all accounts it appears Russia and Qatar were just the best at bribing and it was going on between all parties, there are no clean fingers involved, who do you award the World Cup to in the circumstances where everybody is dirty?

Wait for the nailbomb that hits us when one of those facing charges claims England used bribery.

I can't get behind boycotting World Cups. It hurts players and fans far more than anyone else.

Crimey wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:The way I see it is that papers seized in the raid prove corruption was involved in South Africa getting the World Cup and FIFA awarded that so surely that should deem them unfit from that point on to award tournaments but since they've done so those decisions should automatically be reversed. Lets be honest here - Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world so I'd bet a fair bet of money passed hands and Russia are also willing to dig deep to get such events as well..

It's not as simple as that. Even if evidence is found that the bidding process for Russia and Qatar was corrupt, to reverse the decisions now would have a lot of consequences.

Both Qatar and Russia will have spent millions towards the hosting of the World Cup as well as the millions spent by corporate sponsors, the fallout from removing the World Cups from them would be huge, the amount of legal challenges born from it I imagine would be ridiculous.

You've also got to think of the possible political consequences of the US FBI removing the World Cup from Russia, considering relations between those countries is not fantastic at the moment, it could take a pot that is already stirred up and just knock it over.

It's also stupid, but arguably fair, to say that only with evidence that the other processes were corrupt should they be acted on. You can't say that because South Africa was corrupt, so were those two, even though they obviously were. Then you've got the issue of that by all accounts it appears Russia and Qatar were just the best at bribing and it was going on between all parties, there are no clean fingers involved, who do you award the World Cup to in the circumstances where everybody is dirty?

Ah yes okay you make good points.

Still something needs to be done here. FIFA do handle the bidding process so for bribes to be taken and allowed in the first place is disgraceful. It is quite clearly large scale as well and FIFA should have nipped any kind of bribery and cash for votes in the bud as soon as it looked like starting.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Wait for the nailbomb that hits us when one of those facing charges claims England used bribery.

I can't get behind boycotting World Cups. It hurts players and fans far more than anyone else.

I could get behind UEFA and others breaking off and creating their own governing body.

England did bribe people - that much is obvious. One of the guys arrested (think he was head of concaf at one point) wanted to be knighted and have the FA cup named after him in return for a vote for us lol

I get all the righteous indignation, but what are you actually prepared to do about it?

There was a lot of indignation about the Euro in Ukraine as well at the time. I remember having a number of conversations with friends about it. They were all appalled they said; I asked if they were going to watch the Euro - well of course they said.

Perhaps an equally relevant question is: if the world cup in 2022 still takes place in Qatar will you watch it? Or are you prepared to actually make a stand by (for example)
- not watching any of the world cup
- not clicking on any news/opinion articles about the world cup
- boycotting (to whatever reasonable degree - e.g. if your only credit card is a Visa then that is obviously an issue) sponsors products and/or putting pressure on them to withdraw their support.

You might argue of course that your action won't make any difference - that is the same attitude as "a single vote has never made any difference so why bother?" and moreover ignores the power of collective action. It ought to be possible to get some sort of protest action organised across Europe and the States at least.

Blatter will be re-elected in all probability. He has essentially bought the votes of the African and Asian blocks by giving them loads of money (some of which, to be fair, has probably gone towards developing the game) and equal voting rights (which is undoubtedly a good thing). He will be selling this to them as another attempt from the old colonial powers to take back power, and they will allow themselves to be convinced (or actually be convinced in some cases).

Even if Blatter is not, the problems run so much deeper.

So righteous indignation is fine and all that, but in itself it won't actually achieve anything.

I hope this lot arrested sing like canaries, and Blatter is indicted on corruption charges, get shot of him for good.

Just shows you how bent the Asian and African blocks are if they vote for Blatter with what's been going on.

Large Headlines splashed across the German newspapers calling for a boycott of the World Cup.

I would be in favor.

That said I feel for Qatar. I'm not going to pretend they were the only side likely buying votes and they're being penalised for playing the game best.

Blatter has nearly finished his disorganised rambling.

I expect his re-election to be announced soon.

What GSC you feel for Qatat one of the chief financiers of Sunni extremist running amok across Iraq and Syria? A country that uses de facto slave labor? A country who has already seen as many as 1000 die in the build up to this World Cup? A country that really isn't a country at all but a medieval dictatorial fiefdom. Sorry I don't feel sorry for them at all, if they lose a couple of billion in this deal that is a positive side effect. I mean they confiscate the passports of guest workers and wouldn't even let them return to go to the funerals of their dead relatives in Nepal. Fcku Qatari oil sheiks I could care less.