The Qatar organizers of the 2022 World Cup tournament are reviewing whether to build and renovate 12 stadiums or cut that number back to eight.
The winning bid submitted by Qatar specifically called for nine new stadiums and three renovations, at a total price of $3 billion. But FIFA requires only eight stadiums, and that’s the yardstick used by the Qatar organizers. From AP:
The organizing committee issued a statement in response to reports on Monday that only eight World Cup stadiums would be constructed, saying it was customary for hosts to review bid plans before proposing “final host cities and stadia projects” for approval by FIFA.
“This is the same process that all FIFA World Cup host nations undergo. For Qatar, the process of selecting the final proposed lineup of host venues is ongoing,” the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. “The requirement is a minimum of eight and a maximum of 12” stadiums.
In May last year, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said Qatar could use eight stadiums, despite the 12-venue plan required when bidding, and told The AP that ongoing talks with local organizers would be “pragmatic and we will find the right number.”
One possible side effect from a scaling back of facility: the Qatar bid calls for portions of several stadiums to be disassembled and shipped to developing countries.