Key documents seen by Mediapart shed new light on the award of the 2022 football World Cup to Qatar. The documents, written to then French president Nicolas Sarkozy by his sports advisor, relate to a lunch that took place at the Élysée Palace in 2010, just days before the crucial vote to decide the tournament’s host country. They reveal that the then boss of European football ruling body UEFA, Michel Platini, had been “reluctant” to back the Gulf state, but had been convinced to switch his vote to it by the end of the meeting with the French president and key figures from Qatar. Yann Philippin and Antton Rouget report.
Key documents seen by Mediapart shed potentially crucial new light on the controversial award of the 2022 football World Cup to Qatar. The documents relate to a lunch held at the French presidential office, the Élysée Palace, in 2010 just before the vote on which country should host the event.
