Over 51% Think FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar Could be Cancelled if Covid-19 Persists

The FIFA World Cup 2022, along with the Olympic Games is considered the most prestigious tournament globally. The country where the future world championship will take place was chosen years before by secret ballot.

To win, it needs to get the majority of votes. The winner of the vote guarantees the construction of all the necessary sports facilities: stadiums, hotels, airports, etc. The national team of this country automatically enters the final stage. Thus, exempting them from taking part in the qualifying matches.

Notably, for the first time ever, the FIFA World Cup 2022 will take place in a Middle Eastern country. Moreover, the Qatar national team has never played in the World Cup. The upcoming Qatar World Cup 2022 tournament will be the first one in its history.

Although, despite all the speculation, suggestions, and proceedings, the Arab country is already in full swing preparing for the tournament. Besides, in its scale and organizational aspects, Qatar is planning to surpass the recent World Cup games in Russia.

Also Read: COVID-19 Restrictions on Indoor Sports Facilities’ Operations

Could FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 Get Postponed Due to Covid-19?

On the other hand, the current situation with Сovid-19 worldwide has already led to postponing or canceling some sports events. This includes the Olympics in Tokyo and the UEFA EURO 2020. In line with this, many championships were also suspended or rushed to finish the season ahead of schedule.

Real Research conducted a survey to know the public opinion on whether the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be held. Nearly 75% of the respondents know that Qatar is hosting FIFA World Cup 2022. What does the public think about the Qatar World Cup 2022? Are they going to attend the tournament, or do they think it’s still not safe due to the pandemic? Will the FIFA world cup in Qatar be canceled? Or will Qatar still host the world cup? Let us find out through results obtained from the Real Research online survey application.

Highlights

• 75% are aware of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 tournament.
• Almost 52% believe Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 will be canceled if Covid-19 persists.
• The majority, 66%, think that Qatar’s government and FIFA should only allow vaccinated players and visitors to attend the tournament.
• People are ready to attend the FIFA World Cup 2022, said almost 57% of the respondents.

Nearly 75% Know that Qatar Will Host FIFA World Cup 2022

The Real Research survey started by asking its respondents if they were aware of the fact that Qatar is hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022.  The majority, 75%, said ‘Yes.’ On the contrary, 25% replied ‘No’. Thus, the remaining are either uninterested or simply unaware.

Respondents Say FIFA World Cup 2022 Will be canceled

Next, we asked respondents if they think that Qatar World Cup 2022 will be canceled if Covid-19 persists next year. Interestingly, the results on the Real Research online survey application showed that almost 52% think that Qatar World Cup 2022 will be canceled. The result also shows that people believe the situation with the pandemic could get worse next year. They are not sure if Qatar will still host the FIFA World Cup 2022.

On the other side of the results, nearly 27% said ‘No,’ which shows that some respondents are optimistic about the Qatar World Cup in covid. However, over 21% of respondents are still unsure if the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held.

Only Vaccinated Players and Visitors to Attend the Tournament

Drawing from the Real Research online survey application results, the majority, 66%, strongly believe that Qatar’s government and FIFA should only allow vaccinated football players and visitors to attend the tournament.

Furthermore, almost 18% of the respondents think Qatar’s authorities need to provide safe and regulated facilities. Following after, 8.9% of the respondents believe that there is no need for extra measures. Meanwhile, almost 6% think that the authorities should set stricter travel conditions. In comparison, 2.69% suggest going on lockdown for short periods to control any possible spread of the virus.

Notably, Qatar took many measures to ensure safety at previous events held during the pandemic. In particular, Qatar applied strict medical protocols which included disinfection of all facilities, the presence of medical personnel throughout the tournament at all stadiums. In total, more than 48,000 COVID-19 tests have been carried out.

Respondents are Ready to Attend the FIFA World Cup 2022

Interestingly, more than half of the respondents, nearly 55%, are ready to attend the FIFA World Cup 2022, despite how the situation will be next year. On the contrary, 45% said ‘No,’ which shows that they either do not feel safe or are not interested in the championship.

Summing up, it is evident that in recent times the public makes its decisions based on the Covid-19 situation. Measures such as vaccination against Covid-19, vaccine passport adoption, wearing masks, and maintaining social distance are the necessary primary actions that the authorities should take.

On the other hand, despite the pandemic, Qatar has demonstrated how counties can continue to play football, including with fans in the stands over the past three months.

According to Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, who visited the matches and has personally seen Qatar’s strict medical safety protocols and the tournament organizers’ work, Qatar sets a benchmark for a safe return of football during a pandemic.