There have been a number of strange occurrences and boycotts, as well as policy decisions that would have been considered illegal and impossible if the FIFA World Cup were to take place in another country.
But since it is being hosted in Qatar, a Muslim-majority country with a large number of foreign workers making up its population, there are strange things happening.
For one, lets look at the long list of officials and FIFA member that got banned from soccer after Qatar was voted as a host for the 2022 World Cup.
Michel Platini & Franz Beckenbauer
The first names on the list would be Michel Platini and Franz Beckenbauer, two of the most famous football players during their time (1980s) who got embroiled in accusations of wrong doing.
Beckenbauer, Franz… Then Fifa executive committee member. In 2016, the World Cup in Germany was being investigated for fraud and money laundering.
The investigation was concluded without a verdict in 2020 because the statute of limitations had expired. Beckenbauer denies any wrongdoing. He is perhaps the luckiest among them all.
Michel Platini, the French international star and main player of the once-famous St Etienne club in France was President of Uefa, and he was a Fifa exco member. He has just completed a four-year ban from football.
Sepp Blatter and others
But top of the list of officials banned is Sepp Blatter who was the President of Fifa, overseer of bid process. Now he is banned from football.
The list is very long. There is Julio Grondona, Nicolás Leoz, Rafael Salguero, Vitaly Mutko, Geoff Thompson, Marios Lefkaritis, Jacques Anouma and more.
They are all banned or are now free from their bad deeds committed while they were either with FIFA or were handling their national or local soccer agencies.
Vladimir Putin, Russia
But the star of the list, some say, is undoubtedly Mr Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia whose actions in Ukraine got him and his country and Russian supporters, we suppose, banned from the World Cup.
Russia was the last host of the World Cup, a competition that earned the praise of fans and the entire world indeed for its peaceful, successful and grandiose organisation.
Vladimir Putin was then Russia’s prime minister when Qatar won the rights. Now since Russia started a land war in Ukraine, his country is out of the WC.
As for Boris Johnson, he was then Mayor of London and part of FA’s 2018 World Cup bid team. Now Removed as UK prime minister by party colleagues. Fined by police while in office, he is in a way, a victim too.
Last but not least, we have Roman Abramovich. Then Owner of Chelsea FC. Ambassador for Russia 2018 World Cup bid. Now sanctioned by the UK government over links to the Kremlin. Barred from owning Chelsea.
More stories on the 2022 World Cup can be found here.