The "handshake for peace" was perhaps the only thing that could compete with accusations of corruption and bribery that have dominated the international gathering of soccer's governing body.
Embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter faces a re-election vote Friday, in the face of new corruption and bribery charges against senior members of FIFA.
Accusations of rampant corruption at FIFA came just days before Sepp Blatter is set to stand for re-election Friday. Europe's UEFA says it will back Blatter's lone opponent.
Seven officials were arrested in Switzerland. "This really is the World Cup of fraud," says Richard Weber, chief of the IRS' Criminal Investigation unit, "and today we are issuing FIFA a red card."
The head of FIFA visited Israel and the West Bank this week, where Palestinians are petitioning to expel Israel from soccer's governing body — and its biggest international tournaments.
Their call comes on the same day the BBC said a reporting crew spent two nights in a Qatari jail for trying to film migrant workers who are building the infrastructure for the sporting event.
FIFA, soccer's governing body, also said the tournament will be played over "a reduced timeframe." Separately, FIFA announced that France will host the 2019 Women's World Cup.
Soccer's World Cup is typically played over the summer, but temperatures in Qatar during that season can exceed 110 degrees. A winter tournament would coincide with the European club season.
Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein said he is running against incumbent Sepp Blatter because he believes "it is time to shift the focus away from administrative controversy and back to sport."
