It has been 12 years since Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani lifted the Jules Rimet trophy following the announcement that Qatar would host soccer’s greatest occasion in 2022, the World Cup.
Thursday marks one month to go earlier than kickoff within the opening sport of the event.
Here’s what it is advisable to know in regards to the occasion:
Why is the World Cup happening in November and December?
Initially scheduled to happen throughout June and July, the event was moved to Qatar’s winter season because of the excessive warmth in the course of the summer time the place temperatures usually exceed 40C (113F).
It does imply that among the world’s prime leagues might be placed on maintain for the event. However, in keeping with David Beckham, a Qatar 2022 ambassador, the timing can have advantages.
“I used to be fortunate sufficient to play in three World Cups and I do know that I went into every a kind of World Cups taking part in most likely 50 to 60 video games within the season,” Beckham advised Al Jazeera in Doha. “Gamers are coming into this World Cup after taking part in 25 video games. So they are going to be arriving recent and excited. Their vitality goes to be on the prime stage, so I believe what you’re going to see on the pitch might be like no different World Cup.”
What are the COVID entry necessities?
Vaccination will not be necessary for followers to enter Qatar for the World Cup. Nevertheless, they might want to present a damaging COVID take a look at after which obtain a contact-tracing telephone app referred to as Ehteraz.
What’s the Hayya card and why do you want it?
A Hayya card works as a fan ID.
It’s a personalised doc (accessed through an app too after logging in) issued to each ticket-holder and can have to be proven to get into any of the World Cup stadiums.
It additionally works as an entry allow to Qatar and also will enable holders to make use of public transport freed from cost in the course of the event. Hayya cardholders might be allowed to remain in Qatar till January 23, and also will act as a multiple-use entry visa for vacationers visiting the UAE.
What number of stadiums will host World Cup matches?
Eight stadiums will host matches throughout Qatar’s 2022 World Cup.
- Khalifa Worldwide Stadium had an entire renovation that completed in 2017. Capability 40,000.
- Al Janoub Stadium opened in Could 2019 in al-Wakrah, a half-hour drive south of the capital. Capability 40,000.
- Schooling Metropolis Stadium is positioned within the coronary heart of the nation’s college campuses. Capability 40,000.
- Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, a city on the northeast coast of Qatar. Capability 60,000.
- Al Rayyan Stadium in Al Rayyan. Capability 40,000.
- Al Thumama Stadium is the closest area to Qatar’s fundamental airport, Hamad Worldwide. Capability 40,000.
- Ras Abu Aboud Stadium is a totally deconstructable sports activities stadium constructed from 974 transport containers. Capability 40,000.
- Lusail Stadium is positioned north of the capital, Doha. Capability 80,000.
Which groups are collaborating and what’s the format?
Thirty-two groups will battle it out in teams of 4 for the primary 12 days of the competitors, kicking off on November 20. The highest two from every of the eight teams will undergo to the knock-out rounds, with the ultimate happening on December 18.
Group A: Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador, Qatar
Group B: England, USA, Iran, Wales
Group C: Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia
Group D: France, Denmark, Tunisia, Australia
Group E: Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica
Group F: Belgium, Croatia, Morocco, Canada
Group G: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia, Cameroon
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
What’s the take care of tickets?
A complete of three,010,679 tickets had been made accessible, with organisers final month that greater than 2.85 million had been snapped up since happening sale.
Qatar, Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and america are the main nations of residence for these buying match tickets.
Qatar residents had been in a position to purchase tickets for as little as 40 Qatari riyals ($11). In the event you had been fortunate sufficient to get a ticket to the ultimate, you can count on to pay as much as 6,000 riyals ($1,607).
The place is everybody staying?
Greater than 1.2 million followers are anticipated to journey to Qatar for the event.
In March, organisers launched an internet lodging portal, prioritising match ticket holders.
Flats, lodge rooms, desert tenting, villas, fan villages – and even cabins on moored cruise ships have been made accessible.
Nevertheless, followers can even have the ability to keep in neighbouring nations and fly in for the matches or drive to the Saudi-Qatar border and use a free bus service to achieve Doha metropolis centre.
Issues over scarcity of lodging have grown and, in September, the federal government dominated that native residents would have the ability to lease out their properties to World Cup followers by means of the event.
Iran, on the opposite facet of the Gulf from Qatar, has additionally been working to ease visas and journey restrictions to permit World Cup followers to base themselves there.
What are the foundations for followers?
- Don’t be drunk in public
- Don’t be kissing (or extra) in public
Nasser al-Khater, chief government of the 2022 World Cup, has stated that “everyone seems to be welcome” in Qatar.
“Public shows of affection are frowned upon right here, however that applies to everybody,” stated al-Khater. “I want to guarantee any fan of any gender orientation, faith or race to relaxation assured that Qatar is among the most secure nations on this planet and that they’ll all be welcomed right here.”
Alcohol might be accessible in lodge bars and chosen fan zones. It is going to even be accessible within the hospitality areas of the stadiums. For everlasting residents with a particular allow from their employer, buy might be constituted of one of many two liquor shops within the nation.
What different actions are deliberate throughout Qatar?
It’s not simply the World Cup that’s kicking off this winter in Qatar. The nation plans to deal with its guests with leisure throughout the board.
- Qatar’s Nationwide Museum is displaying off a multisensory exhibition by Pipilotti Rist symbolising humanity’s collective unconscious and the ability of the thoughts.
- Mathaf, the museum of contemporary artwork in Doha, is internet hosting “One Tiger or One other”, exploring historical past because the product of truth and fiction.
- Qatar Reside will host greater than 60 worldwide artists earlier than and in the course of the World Cup, Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5, Submit Malone, J Balvin and Robbie Williams.
- There’s additionally the Daydream Music Competition, the Lusail Boulevard model activation, the Qatar Airways Sky Home, a Winter Wonderland theme park, and the naming ceremony for the MSC World Europa cruise ship
Who’s offering safety on the World Cup?
Qatar’s common police and safety providers are drawn from many countries, similar to a lot of the remainder of its inhabitants.
As well as, Turkey’s inside minister, Suleyman Soylu, stated the nation would ship 3,250 safety officers to Qatar for the World Cup. NATO has additionally stated it might help the safety operation.
Pakistan is ready to ship troops to assist present safety, whereas South Korea can also be sending counterterrorism specialists to help Qatari navy police.
Will we see any new know-how on the World Cup?
Sure. For starters, the 2022 World Cup will introduce a radical new semi-automated offside detection system. The brand new know-how, trialled on the FIFA Membership World Cup in Abu Dhabi and on the Arab Cup in Qatar, utilises a limb-tracking digital camera system to trace participant actions and a sensor within the ball. It then shortly reveals 3D pictures on stadium screens on the event to assist followers perceive the referee’s name.
Every stadium in Qatar can have 12 cameras beneath the roof, synchronised to trace 29 knowledge factors on every participant’s physique 50 instances per second. Information is processed with synthetic intelligence to create a 3D offside line that’s alerted to the crew of VAR officers.