Thirty-two countries, including the hosts Qatar, have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022, which will begin play on November 21 and last through December 18.
The 22nd World Cup is expected to be the final competition with 32 teams and the first to be held in the Middle East.
The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is a special event to look forward to for a variety of reasons. Here are some intriguing details regarding the much-awaited extravaganza:
First-ever World Cup in winter
If viewed from the northern hemisphere, the 2022 competition would mark the first-ever winter World Cup. Normally, the World Cup is held in the middle of the year, but when it came to Qatar, an exception had to be made.
Qatar, which is tucked away in the Middle East, endures agonizingly hot temperatures that sometimes reach up to 50 degrees Celsius. Hosting any kind of international event is seen as being nearly difficult under such circumstances. As a result, the FIFA World Cup was moved from its typical summertime location.
The most pricey
The sum the hosting country is spending on event preparations is another intriguing information. An estimated $200 billion is being spent by Qatar on infrastructure projects, including the building of hotels, motorways, and stadiums. As a result, the forthcoming event will rank among the priciest World Cups ever held.
Fewest stadiums
There may be some or many questions about the quantity of venues. The World Cup will be held in Qatar at only eight stadiums, which is the fewest World Cup sites in recent memory. In actuality, only one of the eight venues chosen to host the competition underwent a complete renovation, while the other seven are being built from scratch across the nation.
Only six stadiums were used when Argentina hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1978, and only eight stadiums will be used when Qatar hosts the event this year.
Tourists anticipated
One of the most interesting facts is the number of visitors who are expected to arrive in the country during the event. As per an estimate, the Qatar FIFA 2022 World Cup may well end up receiving a record number of visitors by the time the tournament ends.
The reason behind this is easy to grasp. Being one of the finest countries in the Middle East, Qatar’s convenient geographic location makes it lie in close proximity to most nations.
Reachable
Qatar is a tiny nation. In actuality, it is far smaller than Russia, which is hosting the 2018 World Cup. Traveling around this small nation is not a major issue because of how compact it is.
Cities that serve as hosts, such as Doha, Lusail, Al Wakrah, and Al Rayyan, are situated close to one another. As a result, traveling from one venue to another wouldn’t be too difficult for visitors. Another noteworthy fact is that Al Bayt and Al Wakrah, Qatar’s two most isolated stadiums, are only 90 miles apart.
Suitable stadiums
The fact that Qatar experiences distressingly high daytime temperatures is one of the most significant things to keep in mind about the country serving as the FIFA 2022 host.
Qatar devised a bold method to address the problem. The FIFA World Cup will be held in stadiums with full air conditioning for the first time ever. All eight of Qatar’s venues will be fully air-conditioned, ensuring that spectators have a comfortable viewing experience and that players have favorable circumstances in which to compete on the field.
Second in Asia
In addition to being the first country from the Middle East to host the FIFA World Cup, Qatar will also organize the event for the second time ever in Asia in 2022. When Japan and South Korea jointly staged the FIFA event for the first time in Asia in 2002, it was the first time it had ever happened.