The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be held with 32 participating teams and not an expanded 48 teams, organizers FIFA said yesterday.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino had proposed expanding the tournament and explored the idea of adding additional host nations.

Reuters reports:

But the sport’s world ruling body said in statement: “Following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process with the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders, it was concluded that under the current circumstances such a proposal could not be made now.”

FIFA and Qatar also looked at whether the Gulf state could host an expanded tournament alone by changing the normal requirements for facilities.

“A joint analysis, in this respect, concluded that due to the advanced stage of preparations and the need for a detailed assessment of the potential logistical impact on the host country, more time would be required and a decision could not be taken before the deadline of June,” FIFA said.

“It was therefore decided not to further pursue this option.”

Infantino began to back away from the idea in March when after a FIFA Council meeting in Miami he said: “If it happens — fantastic. If it doesn’t happen — fantastic also”.

Qatar World Cup organizers said they had always been open to an expanded tournament if a “viable operating model” had been found.

“A joint analysis concluded that due to the advanced stage of preparations and the need for a detailed assessment of the potential logistical impact on Qatar, more time would be required and a decision could not be taken before the deadline of June. It was therefore decided not to further pursue this option,” they said in a statement.

“With just three and a half years to go until kick off, Qatar remains as committed as ever to ensuring the 32-team FIFA World Cup in 2022 is one of the best tournaments ever and one that makes the entire Arab world proud.”

The 2026 World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, is scheduled to feature 48 teams and given the large number of stadiums available is unlikely to face any logistical problems.

The obstacles to a 48-team tournament in Qatar were numerous and some of the natural partners for joint-hosting in the Gulf were ruled out due to a deep political and economic rift in the region.

The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and non-Gulf state Egypt cut political, trade and transport ties with Qatar in June, 2017. Those countries accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, which it denies.

FIFA’s study said the blockade would need to be lifted before there was any chance of those countries hosting matches.

Olympic swimming star Katinka Hosszu is fired up about the launch of the new International Swimming League pro series this year,

Hungarian triple gold medal winner in the Rio 2016 Games said swimmers have had enough of the sport appearing on the global stage just once every four years at the Olympics and believes the time is right for a radical new approach.

Reuters reports:

“If we want to be professionals then we have to be professional,” said Hosszu, after arriving for her interview in a sponsored sports car, wearing a business suit.

Hosszu, 30, has put herself at the forefront of the ISL and its battle with the sport’s governing body FINA.

The ISL, backed by Ukrainian energy businessman Konstantin Grigorishin, will start in October and feature eight teams from Europe and the U.S with matches on both sides of the Atlantic.

The new league tried to hold an event last year in Turin but that was cancelled after FINA said it was “non-approved”.

Following legal action in December from ISL and a group of swimmers including Hosszu, FINA acknowledged in January that athletes were free to compete in events staged by independent organisers.

“It was very interesting how it unfolded, ISL never wanted to be aggressive with FINA, we don’t want to take FINA’s place, ISL wants to create something new, to be in a parallel universe with FINA and they didn’t allow ISL — they didn’t have the right to do that. But at the end of the day, they settled and ISL can start,” Hosszu said.

Hosszu, also owner of the ‘Team Iron’ squad, a role she is relishing.

“I am recruiting swimmers now, it is super-exciting because I am in the pool but I am also talking to swimmers, as a club owner,” she said.

Hosszu, nicknamed the ‘Iron Lady,’ said FINA had failed to develop the sport in a way that allowed swimmers to maximise their earning potential and branding opportunities.

“Before it was simply FINA decided and that was that. FINA was the one that had all the control and we just did what was available to us,” she said.

“We want to change the fact that we are only seen worldwide during the Olympics. We don’t only want to be looked at as swimmers without a personality just with a flag on the cap.

“Cap and goggles and where you are from – that is all you get. It can’t be that exciting to watch if you don’t know the person.

“That is what we are also really trying to do with ISL – create content, show behind the scenes, we are creating a season, it’s not just one race.”

The long-term aim, says Hosszu, is for swimming to have a constant presence that allows competitors to build global profiles similar to those enjoyed by other sports.

“The IOC (International Olympic Committee) probably wouldn’t like me saying this, but (the aim is) becoming such a professional league and generating so much money and viewership that the Olympics will be one of the swim meets, like for basketball and tennis. That’s my vision.”

With so much business to attend to, the question arises as to whether Hosszu can find the motivation to continue competing at the highest level.

She has no doubts.

“For me, the better I am in the pool, the louder my voice sounds and I can use that. For me it just gives so much motivation,” she said.

“Rio it was a very personal, goal of me breaking the world record and winning the golds and declaring that I am the best and showing myself that I did it.

“I want the sport to change. When I get out of the pool for good, I want to look back and say, that was really cool because changes happened because of me,” she said.

Not that she has retirement on her mind.

“I have a limited time in swimming but I am not saying that it is going to be Tokyo. I am already thinking about 2024,” she said.

Amid the business projects, legal cases and her own training, Hosszu has also had to deal with the split with American ex-husband and coach Shane Tusup.

“Going through a divorce is already hard. Going through it with a business partner and a coach where everything is built up, our work together, that is definitely tough and it was a hard time last year.” she said.

Hosszu has hired former Switzerland team coach Arpad Petrov.

“I feel better than before. It is true when they say that hard times make you tougher and that you can deal with anything that comes your way,” she said.

 

The first results of the new iSportconnect insights survey, powered by sports marketing agency Goodform, were unveiled yesterday at the CRM & Ticketing Masterclass in London.

Alexandra Kyrke-Smith, Goodform’s Head of Research and Insight, shared the results with Masterclass attendees ahead of her participation in an expert panel on Driving Engagement Through Data and Audience Understanding.

The insights Survey was created in response to an awareness that members of the iSportconnect community are looking for quality market intelligence about the trends driving the sports business.

In the first survey, we asked members to identify the top challenges facing the sports industry in 2019.

They replied by highlighting the following areas:

• Attracting and engaging younger audiences
• Financial sustainability
• Attracting sponsorship
• Integration of new technologies
• Declining TV audiences on linear platforms

The chose Formula E to head the list of growing sports.

They also said that the biggest event of 2019 will be the Rugby World Cup by a wide margin, ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the ICC Cricket World Cup in second and third place.

 

The insights Survey gives you the opportunity to have your say on some pressing topics. The insights will be collated and shared for everyone’s benefit.

The survey takes no longer than 5 minutes.

Participants in the Survey are eligible to win a prize of a £100 Amazon voucher as a reward to taking part.

We’re pleased to announce that the winner for participating in the first survey is Claire Furlong, who is General Manager, Strategic Communications at the International Cricket Council.

To obtain the full report, just take part in the new survey, focused on the key area of Data & Analytics, and join the insights panel by clicking here.

Women’s football has captured significant headlines during 2019, with record-breaking stadium attendances and new sponsorship deals underlining the extent of its popularity. Now, the sport’s leaders are focused on how to maintain this trajectory, so that women’s football becomes an established dominant force.

Many of these individuals came together for the fourth edition of the Women’s Football Congress, hosted by LaLiga in Madrid in collaboration with the Spanish Association of Women’s Football (ACFF).

Over 150 attendees, representing professional and non-professional clubs, leagues, sponsors and even other sporting federations, were in attendance to share ideas and to learn from expert speakers.

A central point of discussion within women’s football is how to grow the sport in a sustainable manner.

Attendees including Athletic Club’s Erika Vázquez, Espanyol’s Paloma Fernández, Sevilla’s Raquel Pinel and Valencia’s Anair Lomba used the congress to point out that conditions and resources have significantly improved over the years, aided by digital campaigns such as #SoyFutbolista, designed by LaLiga to give women’s footballers a platform to tell their individual stories.

However, all involved were keen to stress that progress must continue.

Read the whole story and watch an excellent video from the event in the Global Fútbol newsletter.