July 1 – Denmark’s culture minister, Joy Mogensen,has criticised the bid process that allowed Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, saying it was “wrong” and raised questions of corruption in international sports organisations.
Qatar’s vote victory, coupled with the ballot that took the 2018 World Cup to Russia, sparked a widespread corruption investigation into the entire bidding process though no evidence was found to warrant stripping Qatar of hosting rights.
Mogensen (pictured) said the infamous 2010 ballot “undermines the values and integrity of the beautiful sport that binds the world together.”
In a statement after a virtual meeting of the Nordic culture ministers that she hosted, Mogensen said the five nations – Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland – “share a similar view of the problem.”
“Closeness and corruption is something we must get rid of in top sports,” she said, adding that the Nordic countries must work together “if we want to get anywhere.”
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