Players need to take a banner out on pitch and pull it out when the anthems get played, that would be very powerful message to the billions watching worldwide.
Why does it matter whether they’re 2nd rate leagues or worse? Fact is they are national leagues. They too have fans that are obsessed with football.
Very excited. Will be one of the best world cups, accessible for the first time in history to many fans around the world.
Really?!? How so?
People can obtain a visa to Qatar pretty easy.
Maybe? Surely no easier than most of the many other countries that have hosted it over the years. It’s the “first time in history” comment that I don’t understand.
What part of keeping the World Cup in the summer (which every league in the world is accustomed to) is elistist? Was there anyone who was put out by having the WC in the summer?
Whether or not they were accustomed to it is irrelevant, it disrupts their league seasons, just like it’s disrupting European leagues this year. They’ve dealt with it for almost a century, it’s not a big deal for Europe to do the same once.
This tournament started almost a century ago in 1930 and was held in July, 20 tournaments since then all held in June/July. If a country can't host it at it's traditional time then they shouldn't have been considered as a host.
It would be easier to accept if it wasn't a bait and switch. The bid wasn't for a winter world cup. They bid for the summer and promised air conditioned stadium. Once FIFA got the bid through and cashed their checks, it was quietly announced that actually the middle east is hot and its going to have to be in the winter and everyone else had to accept it.
The Argentine Primera Division usually runs from July to December, they've had to start and end it 6 weeks earlier than normal this year to accommodate the WC in Qatar.
Sure. I’m not talking about how it happened though. My point is about the end result and how it will provide players and fans in the Southern Hemisphere an experience they wouldn’t have had otherwise.
So ending their season a few weeks earlier is more disruptive than having a tournament slap bang in the middle of their season?
You talk as if the likes of Argentina want this end of year World Cup when actually it disrupts their normal season too (same for South Africa but they havent even qualified anyway so I dont know why you mention them) - which leagues are you talking about that wont be disrupted ?
I am.
Whether or not it is more or less disruptive is irrelevant. It's still disrupting the Argentine league season just as it would in July. And as pointed out a summer World Cup wouldn't disrupt South Africa's league at all.
What difference will it make to fans in the southern hemisphere that are accustomed to watching the World Cup in their winter?
It is a big deal, they lied to win the bid to host a summer tournament they knew they couldn't actually host and now most of the worlds top football leagues are being disrupted for 2-3 years to accommodate their deception.
Would you care to elaborate on how previous World Cups were inaccessible to many fans around the world until now?
I think he’s referring to fans actually attending the World Cup in person. To be fair, Qatar appear to have made it very easy to obtain a visa to go and attend. Probably easier to obtain a visit visa for the World Cup than it is in places like U.K.
That's fair, but unless you're au fait with the visa regulations at the time for all the countries that have hosted the tournament previously, it would seem difficult to make such a statement that Giggsyking did? To take your example, the last world cup in the UK was in the 60s and I've very little idea how hard/easy it was for spectators to get a UK visa back then, but fair play if Giggsyking has done the research on this
A visa in the U.K. to attend a World Cup or any event is not treated any differently than a visit visa. You would still be applying in the same manner with the same regulations.That's fair, but unless you're au fait with the visa regulations at the time for all the countries that have hosted the tournament previously, it would seem difficult to make such a statement that Giggsyking did? To take your example, the last world cup in the UK was in the 60s and I've very little idea how hard/easy it was for spectators to get a UK visa back then, but fair play if Giggsyking has done the research on this
Going around in circles here mate. I’ve made my point which you completely understand but can’t let it go. So I’ll leave you to it.
I'm talking about in 1966, not the present day...?
I imagine the 2026 WC will be a bitch to get to for many people (at least those trying to enter the US).
I certainly wouldn’t use the 1966 World Cup as a comparison to whether it was more accessible to people around the world than the Qatar World Cup. Regardless of visas, the cost and accessibility of buying an airline ticket was significantly more difficult than it is today.
Sure but since he said the first time in history, it makes more sense (to me at least) to look at previous world cups to question whether that statement is correct.
If you want that to be the key point then no worries, I was specifically replying to Giggsyking's point, though
You dont understand it because you dont know difficult to obtain a visa to a european country, Usa, japan or s korea. Because it is nothing you think of. For most asians and africans it is almost impossible. Maybe the Brazil worldcup was easier to access the most but Brazil is on the wrong side of the world geographicaly. Obtaining a visa to Qatar is the easiest between all the previous world cup countries.
Read above.
I’m sure Africans didn’t find it too hard to get to a World Cup in Africa.
If by going round in circles you mean you refusing to engage in a conversation about the actual important corruption issues surrounding the awarding of this world cup that lead to it being played in December. And instead waffling on about how you think it's great that most of the world top leagues are being disrupted for 2-3 years because it allows people in those notoriously cold countries of Argentina and South Africa to watch a few WC matches on the TV in their garden.
Cheers
4.7 billion people lives in Asia. 57% of the world population. Yes it is the most accessible wc in history. Qatar is easily accessible by flight and land and placed geographicaly well compared to South africa. So even for north and midlands Africans I would guess its easier to travel to Qatar.
I truly believe the opposite.
