On November 20, the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar, which will run until December 18. Qatar is one of the smallest and at the same time richest countries in the world, and FIFA’s decision to grant it the right to host the tournament has caused heated debate. What makes the football championship controversial, how it will be held and who to root for – in today’s article.
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The most expensive World Cup in history
The World Cup in Qatar has become the most expensive in history. The authorities spent a record $220 billion on preparations. Previously, the record belonged to Brazil, which hosted the 2014 World Cup for $15 billion; in 2018, the championship cost Russia $11.6 billion.
Qatar is the first country in the Arab world to host the championship, as well as the smallest since the 1954 tournament in Switzerland (the territory of Qatar is about 11.5 thousand square kilometers). The tournament will be held at eight stadiums, which are located close to each other.
The heat at the «winter» tournament
The timing of the championship is also unusual. As a rule, it takes place in the summer, but due to the hot climate in Qatar (in summer the temperature would exceed 40 degrees), it was scheduled for the end of the year.
Even in late autumn and winter, Qatar has high temperatures and high humidity. So, the Wales team had to change their training plan due to the fact that the air temperature exceeded 30 degrees.
Players are not only at risk of heat stroke, but may also make poor decisions when playing or exercising in high temperatures.
Expensive tickets and alcohol
The most expensive were the tickets themselves for the tournament. Thus, the fans of the tournament this year paid 40% more than those who attended the 2018 World Cup. At the 2018 World Cup, tickets for a match cost an average of £214, for the 2022 World Cup – £286. Tickets for the final in Qatar are much more expensive – £684.
Alcohol turned out to be expensive, which was difficult for foreign tourists to find in Qatar even before the 2022 World Cup. According to The Guardian, a 0.5 liter mug of Budweiser beer, the only official World Cup beer, will cost around £11.6 (roughly €13.3), while the non-alcoholic version will cost £7 (€8). Reuters, citing a source familiar with alcohol sales at the tournament, put the price at $13.73.
Ascetic housing
The fans were also disappointed by the living conditions. «Welcome to the World Cup in Qatar where you can pay over $200 a night to stay in a shipping container» – journalist Joe Pompliano tweeted.
In addition to «asceticism» there was also a problem with the accommodation of guests in a small area of the state. The population of Qatar is about 2.9 million people (as of 2021), most of whom live in the capital, Doha. The country should accept from 1.2 million to 1.5 million foreign fans.