Pa. Senator Calls on FIFA to Relocate 2022 World Cup to U.S.

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil may be on everyone’s mind, but one Pennsylvania lawmaker is thinking ahead to World Cup 2022.

Senator Bob Casey is calling on FIFA to relocate the 2022 World Cup from Qatar to the United States amid reports about widespread labor abuse and allegations of corruption that led up to the country being selected to host the international soccer tournament.

“Continued investigations into Qatar have revealed that migrant workers make as little as $6.75 for a full day of manual labor while facing the threat of illegal fees and withheld wages,” Casey said in a statement.

The U.S. was runner-up behind Qatar during the 2022 selection process.

Moving the 2022 World Cup to the United States would have a significant economic impact for 18 American cities, including Philadelphia, Casey said.

“Rewarding these labor practices with the 2022 World Cup is the wrong approach,” Senator Casey said. “Recent reporting has raised new concerns about the way Qatar treats its workers and the manner in which the country was selected for the 2022 World Cup.”

“I’m urging FIFA to remove the cloud that hangs over the 2022 World Cup and swiftly reallocate this event,” he said.