The statement issued by the Prime Minister, who said that Bahrain has become a leading destination for organizing sports events, at the end of the race was strange. It was a shocking statement that indicates a complete estrangement from reality.

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has never seemed as isolated as he was at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Doha 2022, the ruler of the closest neighbor to the host country.

A report published by the British "Middle East Eye" website said that Qatar World Cup 2022 is a lost economic opportunity for Bahrain.

Israelis will be able to attend 2022 World Cup games in Qatar, Israeli ministers said on Thursday, in a move they said would open "a new door" to a country with which Israel does not currently have formal diplomatic relations.

Soccer�s world governing body FIFA and Qatar�s World Cup organisers concede there are challenges and obstacles to expanding the 2022 tournament from 32 to 48 teams but neither is willing to take the idea off the agenda just yet.

Qatar on Sunday unveiled the design for what it claims is the World Cup's first 'reusable' stadium, the seventh of eight expected venues that will stage games during the 2022 tournament.

An Indian man working on a Qatar World Cup stadium where rights groups say labor abuses have occurred, died of a heart attack this month in an incident the tournament's organizers said on Thursday was not due to his working conditions.