AT THE end of November, men’s domestic football leagues worldwide will be suspended to make way for the Fifa World Cup in Qatar, a month-long tournament featuring 32 national teams who have qualified from their respective regions.

You do not have to be a football supporter to know that holding the competition in the tiny Gulf dictatorship has been shrouded in controversy ever since they were awarded it in 2010 amid widespread allegations of corruption during the bidding process.

There is no doubt that Qatar is uniquely unsuited to holding an event of this nature.