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The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been highly controversial since it was announced back in 2010.

Football’s governing body was happy to line its pockets, whilst an estimated 6 500 migrant workers have died in the country over the past 11 years, largely during the building of eight new stadiums for the tournament.

Then there’s the country’s conservative religious code, which prohibits same-sex relations, to put it mildly.

However, a World Cup is a World Cup, and fans from around the world will descend on Qatar next year to watch their team in action.

According to Sky News, if those fans want to actually make it into a stadium, they will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19:

The Middle East state is trying to source a million doses to give to supporters who have not had the jab in their home country.

“When the date of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 comes, most countries of the world will have vaccinated and immunised their citizens,” the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, told state media on Sunday.

“Due to the possibility that some countries will not be able to vaccinate all their citizens, Qatar will not allow fans to enter stadiums without receiving a full vaccination against the virus.”

In total, Qatar has reported just 583 COVID-19 related deaths, with around 220 000 confirmed infections.

FIFA has yet to comment on the sheikh’s announcement.

World Cups are usually played during June and July, but the sweltering heat of Qatar’s summer will see the tournament kicking off on November 21, 2022.

Sepp Blatter’s legacy, folks.

[source:skynews]