The World Cup began in Qatar 12 years after the tiny gulf nation secured the rights.

JERUSALEM – Israel's Beitar Jerusalem soccer club, which has gained notoriety for its racist fans and refusal to have an Arab player on its roster, announced on Monday that an Emirati sheikh has purchased a 50% stake in the team. But in recent years it has drawn attention for being the only major club never to have an Arab player. Israel's Arab minority makes up roughly 20% of the population, and Arab players star on rival teams and the country's national squad. The statement did not say whether the team finally plans on adding Arab players to its roster, though Hogeg has signaled that is his plan. It also says it has Arab players on its youth and women's teams.

Qatar is keen on on hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Qatar is turning its focus to bringing the Summer Games to the Middle East for the first time as it prepares to host the region's first World Cup in 2022. An interest in bidding for the Olympics comes as Qatar continues to face corruption allegations over how it won the rights to host the World Cup in a FIFA vote in December 2010. FIFA had to move the World Cup from its usual June-July slot to November-December 2022 due to the desert countrys fierce summer heat. The next Summer Olympics are the rescheduled Tokyo Games in 2021, followed by Paris in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028.