The logo of Qatar's football (soccer) association. Credit: QFA.

JNS.org – Qatar will likely be stripped of its right to host the 2022 World Cup, a top Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) official said Monday.

FIFA executive board member Theo Zwanziger, citing his “personal opinion,” said that the health risks to players and fans in Qatar’s extreme heat is the main reason behind the decision.

“Personally, I believe that the 2022 World Cup will not take place in Qatar in the end,” he told the German sports magazine Sport Bild.

Amid last summer’s Operation Protective Edge, Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett slammed FIFA’s decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar, a major sponsor of the Hamas terrorist organization.

“Qatar is one of the greatest state sponsors of terrorism,” Bennett said in an interview on Al-Jazeera, which is owned by Qatar. “The Hamas headquarters are based in Qatar, Qatar finances Hamas terror activity. Qatar is one of the main sources of unrest right now in the region… The world needs to decide if the World Cup is a cup of soccer or a cup of terror.”

Last summer, a report in The Sunday Times also accused Qatar’s top soccer official, Mohamed Bin Hammam, of bribing FIFA officials more than $5 million to support Qatar’s World Cup bid.