The World Cup is the planet’s most popular sports tournament. It’s also a chance for Qatar, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, to have a coming-out party on the world stage.
ِAn AP’s investigation found that Qatar sought an edge in securing hosting rights by hiring former CIA officer turned private contractor Kevin Chalker to spy on rival bid teams and key soccer officials who picked the winner in 2010.
Chalker also worked for Qatar in the years that followed to keep tabs on the country’s critics in the soccer world, the AP found.
Analysts believe it’s part of a trend of former U.S. intelligence officers going to work for foreign governments with questionable human rights records that is worrying officials in Washington and prompting calls from some members of Congress for greater scrutiny of an opaque and lucrative market.
The tiny Arab nation of Qatar has spent billions of dollars to prepare for the 2022 World Cup, spared no-expense effort to win and hold on to the tournament.
For nearly a decade, Qatar has been suspected of buying votes to win the hosting rights for the tournament. U.S. prosecutors explicitly revealed details about money paid to five members of FIFA’s top board ahead of the 2010 vote to choose Qatar as host.
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