• Exact date of the 2022 World Cup: uncertain, because FIFA was surprised by the existence of hot climate on the Arabian peninsula in mid-summer, when Football World Cups are traditionally held.
• Amount of bribes paid by Qatar to FIFA members: unknown, but apparently high enough to make FIFA and its members forget to look at a map of the world or a climate chart.
• Number of Qatar’s previous appearances in Football World Cups: zero. As host nation, Qatar is however automatically qualified for 2022. Sometimes, if you are not good enough, buying the whole World Cup is the only way.
• Qatar’s ranking in the freedom index: not free.
• Amount of time spent by FIFA delegates on discussing Qatar’s lack of freedom: haha, are you kidding me? This is FIFA.
• Chance that Qatari decision makers thought that the architects’ office chosen for the design of the stadiums is actually named after a Nazi war criminal: high. [In all fairness, it should be added that Albert Speer Jr. bears no responsibility whatsoever for the crimes of his father. Based on my own experience, many people in the Arab world do however have a strangely favourable view of Nazism.]
• Number of workers killed during construction of stadiums: exact number not known, but even according to official records 185 Nepali workers died in 2013 alone. Because construction will go on until 2022, many more will die. The foreign workers live and toil in appalling conditions.
• Number of goals typically scored during a World Cup: The average number of goals during a World Cup is 148. The record was 171 goals in 1998 (in France).
• Killed worker/goal ratio: higher than 1. This World Cup will see fewer goals than workers have died in the construction of the stadiums.
• Revenues for FIFA: not yet known, but the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is estimated to bring revenues of 4 billion $ for FIFA. They will hardly be satisfied with less in an oil-rich emirate.
• Salary of a worker on the construction sites: less than 200 $ per month, but they often don’t get paid at all.

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