Arabian hospitality isn't a mystery to anyone and Qatar comes out on top in it. A country located at the center of the earth, Qatar boasts of its wide variety of attractions that are set to make travelers jump with joy. But now here's a thing, while the country is a popular tourist destination today, things are only bound to get better as Qatar prepares to host football's greatest competition, the FIFA World Cup 2022.
64 action packed matches, millions of fans and teams going head-to-head for the grand prize, there's a lot to look forward to at the upcoming world cup in Qatar. So if you're a footballing fan ready to cheer up your favorite team at this grand event, we've compiled a round-up of some significant things and facts you need to know about the upcoming world cup.
When Will The FIFA World Cup 2022 Begin And End?
The biggest footballing carnival on earth, the FIFA World Cup 2022 will begin on 21st November 2022 with the host country Qatar involved in the tournament opener. This is the first time ever that a world cup will be held in winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Before this, world cups have usually been organized during the months of June and July in the Southern Hemisphere as this is the time when the region experiences its winter season.
Since Qatar experiences severely hot temperatures during the summer months, the decision to host the world cup in November and December has, thus, been taken to ease the players as well the visitors who will travel for the world cup.
Talking about the end of the competition, the FIFA World Cup would end on 18th December 2022, precisely a week before Christmas. So, so much to be excited about, right?
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What are the Broadcast Timings Set for the FIFA World Cup 2022?
The 2022 FIFA games will be broadcast all around the world like they always are, and here are the kick-off timings set by FIFA.
1 pm (1000 GMT)
4 pm (1300 GMT)
7 pm (1600 GMT)
10 pm (1900 GMT)
Talking about the final round of games including the knockout stages of the tournament, the timings will differ in certain ways. Not only this, but the games may even go to midnight considering there might be an extra time required to settle the contests. Hence, here are the timings for the final round of games.
6 pm (1900 GMT)
10 pm (1900 GMT)
Venues For the FIFA World Cup 2022
Now here's an interesting thing about the upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2022. The tournament will be played in the lowest number of stadiums with only 8 stadiums being lined up for the whole event.
Not only this but out of the 8 stadiums, seven of them are set to be new stadiums with Qatar spending a whopping amount of $200 billion USD on infrastructural projects ahead of the world.
Take a note of the stadiums lined up below.
The Al Bayt Stadium-
Being one of the venues for the world cup, the Al Bayt Stadium will be the venue for the tournament opener on 21st November 2022. The stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 60,000 and its structure has been designed to be sustainable for long.
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Al Rayyan Stadium-
Designed with a 360-degree media membrane that will screen live matches, news, and all other updates, the Al Rayyan Stadium you can only dream of. It has possibly the best viewing experience lined up for the visitors coming for FIFA 2022 as the screen on the outer side of the stadium will play live matches with all camera angles along with the post and pre-match shows.
Education City Stadium-
Located between many university campuses, the Education City Stadium is one of the 8 venues for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022. The stadium has been designed in such a way that it glitters during the day while glows during the night.
As for its tiers, the upper tier will be removed post the world cup and the rest with about 25,000 seating capacity will remain for the university events.
Suggested Read: Key Concerns And Their Solutions For The Upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022
Khalifa International Stadium-
Having already hosted the 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final and an international friendly between England and Brazil, the Khalifa International Stadium is now set to be the venue for the FIFA World Cup.
The stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 68,030 set for the world cup which was upgraded from its previous 50,000 capacity following the FIFA protocols of maximum stadium capacity.
Lusail Iconic Stadium-
Perhaps the most significant venue for FIFA 2022 World Cup, the Lusail Stadium is the venue where the final of the world cup will be held. It is also one of the venues that will host the opening day matches.
The stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 86,250 and its design has been inspired by the dhow which has an important place in the history of Qatar. What else? The stadium will be used for various cultural and other sporting events post the world cup.
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Al Janoub Stadium-
The Al Janoub stadium opened last year with the Amir Cup final and is now set to host the matches of the FIFA World Cup. The stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 40,000 and is located in Al Wakrah.
As for its design, well, it is again inspired by the traditional dhow boats of Qatar that have taken sailors far into the waters for years and have a special place in the history of Qatar.
Al Thumama Stadium-
Another one of those venues selected for the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Al Thumama stadium is rooted at a distance of mere 12 km from Doha skyline and waterfront promenade. The stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 40,000 which will be brought down to a mere 20,000 post the world cup.
The stadium is inspired by Gahfiya, a traditional cap which men and boys all over the middle east wear. The cap is a symbol of dignity and independence. As for the stadium, it is to play a huge role in passing on the message of dignity to the world.
Ras Abu Aboud Stadium-
Coming to the last venue for the world cup, the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium has been designed with new ideas of sustainability and legacy planning. The stadium has a maximum seating capacity of 40,000 and will be completely dismantled and repurposed once the world cup is over.
Notable Facts About The Match Schedule For The FIFA World Cup 2022
Footballing fans around the world are buzzing about the FIFA 2022 World Cup, and to add to their excitement, FIFA has finally released the match schedule for the World Cup. So, here's what you need to know.
- The group stage of the competition would begin on the 21st of November and conclude on 2nd December. There will be four games played every day at different venues and timings. The host country Qatar would be involved in the opening day fixtures of the group stage.
- Once the group stage is concluded, the competition will now move to the round of 16 stage where there will be two games played in a day. The round of 16 stage would begin on the 3rd of December and end on the 6th of December. Post this, there will be a two days break before FIFA 2022 enters the quarter finals stage.
- Moving to the quarter final stage, the competition will resume on the 9th of December and conclude on 10th December. There will be two days games played in a single day for this stage.
- Once the quarter final stage is over, it will be time for the semi-finals but not before a rest of two days post the conclusion of quarter finals. The semi-finals would begin on the 13th of December and end on 14th December 2022. This will be the stage when we'll know who the finalists are, and which two teams will be competing for the third place.
- The third-place decider will be held on the 17th of December after a rest of two days post the semi-finals. Both the losing semifinalists would take on each other to grab a third-place finish at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
- Finally, after an action packed 63 matches and close finishes, the FIFA World Cup would finally reach its final stage, the final. 18th December will be the day when the final will be played at the Lusail Stadium. The kick off time set for this final fixture is 8:30 pm IST.
Facts Worth Noting About FIFA 2022
There are many facts and figures emerging about the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 that are worth noticing for all footballing fans around. So, here's our take on some of the notable ones.
- The 2022 FIFA games will be played in the fewest stadiums with only 8 stadiums lined up for the whole competition. In fact, out of those stadiums, seven will be newly constructed stadiums while one will be refurbished.
- The Hamad International Airport and Qatar Airways would join hands during the world cup to bring about 1300 flights into the country per day for the whole month. Considering the location of the country, visitors would easily be able to book a flight to Qatar online. In fact, the experts believe that the number of visitors may even be higher than expected.
- The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be the first ever winter world cup to be held in the Northern Hemisphere. Before this, major events like the world cup were usually held in the Southern Hemisphere during June and July as this is the time when the region experiences winter.
- There will be no alcohol served in the stadiums during the FIFA World Cup 2022. Being an Islamic country, Qatar has strict has strict laws against either import or consumption of alcohol at public places. In fact, if you're caught consuming alcohol on streets, the consequences can be severe. However, owing to the world cup, there will be specific establishments set up as fan zones where alcohol will be served to the fans along with other licensed hotels and restaurants.
- The Qatar metro network is expected to ferry an estimated one million visitors during the FIFA World Cup.
- It is officially set to be most commutable world cup ever consider the size and location of Qatar. In fact, the Qatar's two most remote stadiums, Al Bayt, and Al Wakrah are only 90 miles apart.
- All venues of the world cup will be connected through the metro network which is about 300 km long with 100 stations along the way.
How To Buy The Tickets For The World Cup?
The sale of tickets for the FIFA World Cup is something that every footballing fan would be keeping a close watch on. As per a statement made by FIFA, the tickets for hospitality would go live by the end of 2020 itself. This will be specifically for those who are much eager to book their seats for the world cup.
As for the other tickets, FIFA has confirmed that sale would be conducted on the official website only and nowhere else. The timeline, categories, phases and all other details would be communicated likewise.
Further Read: Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022; The Best Accommodation To Book Your Stay In Qatar?
Football's biggest competition, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar promises grand excitement and thrill. A country renowned for its fine hospitality, fans would have the best of time staying in Qatar during the world cup.
As for the preparations, the infrastructural projects continue with pace with the country spending an estimated $200 billion USD and Qatar is expected to be ready to host the world cup before the deadline.
FAQs
The FIFA World 2022 will be played in Qatar from 21st November 2022 to 18th December 2022.
The preparations for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar continue with full force and the country has already confirmed the completion of its Education City stadium which is one of the venues for the world cup.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be held in Qatar. This is first time ever when a world cup will be held in during winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 has already been moved from its usual summer slot of June and July to November and December owing to the extreme temperatures that Qatar records during the summers.
The qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 have been postponed due to the ongoing pandemic by FIFA. However, the competition is set to start on its due date as of now.
