The 2010 decision to award the rights to host the World Cup to Qatar has been shrouded in controversy for issues ranging from summer temperatures, which can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius, to allegations of bribery and maltreatment of the Gulf state’s foreign workforce.
Bin Hammam, a former FIFA presidential candidate, was banned for life from working in football for repeated violations of Article 19 (Conflict of Interest) of the FIFA Code of Ethics during his terms as AFC President and as member of the FIFA Executive Committee between 2008-2011.
Bin Hammam was accused of trying to buy the presidential votes of Caribbean officials by handing them $40,000 each in brown envelopes at a meeting in Port of Spain.
A separate investigation published by French Football magazine last year also accused former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, the country’s premier at the time, of colluding with Europe’s UEFA to hand the tournament to Qatar.
