logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
9m 28s

Qatar’s bet on the World Cup

Financial Times
About this episode

Mortgage rates in the UK on five-year fixed deals have dipped below 6 per cent for the first time in nearly two months, and US retailers are facing their first real-terms fall in revenues since the global financial crisis this holiday season. Plus, the FT’s gulf correspondent, Simeon Kerr, explains why there’s so much pressure on Qatar as the country hosts the World Cup. 


Mentioned in this podcast:

Mortgage rates on five-year fixes tip below 6 per cent 

US retailers face first real-terms fall in sales since financial crisis

Video: Qatar's World Cup legacy

FIFA: Saleh Al-Shehri scores for Saudi Arabia vs Argentina! 


The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. 


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Warsh heads to Jackson Hole as economic worries mount
US Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh will seek to soothe investors’ nerves at this week’s Jackson Hole symposium, Andy Burnham is headed to Ukraine for his first overseas trip as Britain’s prime minister, and Saudi Arabia held talks with London brokers for a state-backed war insu ... Show More
11m 48s
Aug 21
Why the energy crisis won’t save western oil refineries
Investors have warned that Treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s attempts to slash long-term US borrowing costs are doomed to fail, and European oil refinery capacity is set to shrink by a fifth over the next decade. Plus, Shanghai’s answer to the Nasdaq index is benefiting from an ... Show More
12m 11s
Aug 20
US Treasury tries to soothe the bond market
Shares in vaccine-maker Moderna lept after it reported successful trial results for an experimental cancer vaccine, and the US Treasury department will at least double the size of its buyback of long-term government debt. Plus, top US legal firms are sparking controversy for hiri ... Show More
10m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
Qatar’s $200bn bet on the World Cup
<p>Qatar is in the spotlight as the host of this year’s World Cup — and the small, oil-rich nation has had to confront a lengthy human rights record with the world watching. The FT’s Gulf correspondent Simeon Kerr breaks down Qatar’s larger goals due to hosting the tournament, an ... Show More
17m 53s
Jun 2015
Can Qatar retain the 2022 World Cup?
Allegations that Qatar won its bid to host the 2022 World Cup through bribery have led to calls for the Gulf emirate to be stripped of its right to host the competition - especially after the corruption scandal at football's governing body Fifa erupted last month. Fiona Symon dis ... Show More
7m 55s
Nov 2022
⚽ “The Anti-Ted Lasso” — Qatar’s World Cup. Starbucks’ biggest day. FTX’s Madoff moment.
The World Cup begins Sunday in Qatar, a nation of just 300k citizens (half of Vermont) — but it’s dropped $200B for 8 new stadiums. Starbucks’ busiest day of the year was yesterday’s “Red Cup Day”, because holidays beat habits. And FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried just admitted he’s ... Show More
20m 50s
Nov 2022
Qatar’s Big Bet on the World Cup
<p>The World Cup, the biggest single sporting event on the planet, began earlier this month. By the time the tournament finishes, half the global population is expected to have watched. </p><p>The 2022 World Cup has also been the focus of over a decade of controversy because of i ... Show More
34m 14s
Dec 2022
Qatar’s soft power play
<p>Qatar’s decision to host the World Cup was mired in controversy from the start but ultimately seems to have paid off, bringing the tiny Gulf emirate new friends and winning over old enemies. Gideon talks to Simeon Kerr, the FT’s Gulf correspondent, about what motivates the emi ... Show More
26m 14s
Nov 2022
What’s the cost of Qatar’s World Cup?
The Qatar World Cup, which began on Sunday 20 November, has been marred in controversy, from the country’s oppression of LGBT+ people and women to a last-minute decision to ban sales of beer inside stadiums. Thousands of migrant workers are believed to have died during constructi ... Show More
32m 34s
Nov 2022
World Cup: Welcome to Qatar!
Soccer is sometimes called “the second religion of the Arab World,” and Qatar is the region’s first country to host the World Cup. But FIFA’s pick of the desert nation comes with boundless controversy. This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-check ... Show More
24m 54s