FIFA “in contact” with Qatar over 2022 World Cup

Soccer’s governing body FIFA said it was in “regular contact” with the organising committee of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Monday though it did not comment directly on the diplomatic situation involving the Gulf State.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and others severed ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism and opening up the worst rift in years among some of the most powerful states in the Arab world.

FIFA said in an emailed statement that it was “in regular contact with the Qatar 2022 Local Organising Committee and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy handling matters relating to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”

“We have no further comments for the time being,” it added.

Qatar’s local World Cup organising committee and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC,) which organises international matches in the region, both declined to comment.

Qatar’s national team are still involved in the qualifying competition for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and are bottom of their group with four points from seven games, with matches against South Korea, Syria, and China still to play.

There is a very remote chance they could still finish third in the group and qualify for a playoff match against the team that finishes third in the other Asian qualifying group, with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE among potential opponents.