Four years to the first autumn World Cup: Qatar 2022
The first World Cup in the Middle East will start on 21 November and run to 18 December.
On an autumn day like today, but in four years time, the most innovative, modern and singular World Cup of all time will get underway in Qatar. It’ll be the first to be played during the European club season, away from its usual summer period, and what’s more it’ll bring the biggest sporting event on the planet to the Middle East. The World Cup Final will be on 18 December.
The major leagues and clubs agreed back in the day to stage the tournament during the season due to the extreme conditions in Qatar in summer. The temperatures can hit 50 degrees celsius, far removed from the 26 degrees maximum of today. The debate today is focused on how to organise the footballing calendar before and after the World Cup.
Another cause of debate is whether the competition should have 32 teams, like recent versions, or be extended to 48 - an idea of Infantino’s which in principle wasn’t going to take effect until 2026. In case, the organising committee is studying the possibility, though the likelihood of it happening appears remote. As things stand Qatar 2022 will be played in eight stadiums, most newly constructed, all its incredible designs.
The first to host a match was the Khalifa, the old stadium in Doha, which has been completely renovated. The other grounds, including Lusail Stadium, where the opening game and the final will be held, are planned to be opened in 2020. Another aspect that makes this World Cup unique is that all the grounds are within a radius of 35 kilometres. As the smallest ever country to host a World Cup it’ll be possible to watch more than one game a day and will allow fans and teams to stay in the same hotel during the entire tournament. A great convenience.
Four years to the first autumn World Cup: Qatar 2022
The stadiums will be the most modern in the world, designed by some of the most famous architects studios in the world, among them the Spain’s Fenwick-Iribarren, who drew up the plans fo the Ras Abu About, the first temporary ground to host a World Cup match. In total the budget is some 5,700 million euros.
Qatar is expecting more than 1.5 million fans will come to the World Cup and have reached out to their neighbours (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrein) who are currently blockading Qatar to try and solve the crisis. Qatar hopes that by 2022 the issue will be in the past, and all the attention will be focused on football. On the first autumn World Cup.