Qatar faces ‘major blow’ if 2022 World Cup grows: analysts

“The Qataris have really staked their pride in hosting this tournament, and it would be a big blow to them if they had to share it with others,” said Michael Stephens, a Middle East expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).“The logic which drove the Qataris to seek the World Cup was one of wanting to make Qatar stand out in the world… given all the problems of the last year I think that driving logic is even more the case today than it was back in 2010.”