With the first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup set to be played at Lusail Iconic Stadium on November 21, 2022, and Russia 2018 just on the horizon, the gap of years is quickly shortening until it’s Qatar’s turn to shine on the global pitch. But pulling off the largest football tournament in the world is no small feat and the sheer number of logistics staggering!
So, we decided to break a few of them down so you can have a sense of the scope of the World Cup planning – and also feel a sense of pride at what goes in to hosting the ultimate football event on the planet!
(Photo credit: Goal.com)
The budget for construction of stadiums and sports facilities has almost been halved according to CNN with the early estimates for construction set a $20 billion USD. Now, the Supreme Committee has revised the numbers to bring the budget down to $8-10 billion USD – almost half of what was initially projected.
This places Qatar amongst the select few to have spent less than the original estimate for hosting the tournament. Russia and Brazil have spent almost double of what they predicted. For the 2018 tournament, Russia has spent more than $12 billion USD. That's still $5 billion USD less than the cost of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and a fraction of the $50 billion USD Russia reportedly spent hosting the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
Qatar is believed to spend around $200 billion USD on infrastructure and other projects in-line with the 2022 World Cup.
Qatar is expecting a whopping 1.2 million visitors to attend the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This is double the estimate of people that visited Brazil for the 2014 World Cup. Analysts believe the number could go even higher as Qatar’s central location means football fans from Europe, Africa, Asia and the MENA region are expected to make the journey.
(Photo credit: Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy)
Qatar is expected to have over 65,000 hotel rooms required by FIFA at the end of 2021 – this is apart from outdoor accommodation, cruise ships, etc.
The Supreme Committee has revised the number of stadiums from 12 initial stadiums to 8. If FIFA accepts Qatar's proposal, the 2022 World Cup will be played in the fewest stadiums since Argentina hosted the tournament in 1978 across just six stadiums.
The stadium designs are aimed to reflect the culture and traditions of Qatar and the region. Almost all the stadiums are being built from scratch, from the ground up – a feat never accomplished before ahead of a World Cup tournament. The average seating capacity for each stadiums is estimated to be around 45,000.
(Photo credit: Chicago Tribune)
70,000 outdoor lights will illuminate the 2022 FIFA World Cup – more than three times as many lights as on the Eiffel Tower.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup stadiums will have 26 times the number of doors as in the White House, and 7 times as many as Buckingham Palace, clocking in at a whopping 10,880.
The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the most compact World Cup in history, with the least amount of travel time between matches and stadiums. The longest commute fans and players will have between stadiums is 35 miles (55 kms), allowing for visitors to sit back and enjoy the games and sights Qatar has to offer. Because of this shortened distance, fans can watch an unprecedented 2 to 3 live games per day during the group stages – which has never been possible before in the history of the tournament.
(Photo credit: TheSun.co.uk)
The amount of broadcast cabling being installed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup would stretch all the way from Doha to Sochi, Russia. While 2.3 million meters of fibre-optic and Ethernet cable being used for the tournament would stretch from Doha to Mumbai, India.
32 teams will compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar, like South Africa – the host nation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, will make its first appearance in a World Cup tournament by virtue of being the host nation.
A host of malls will surround the World Cup stadiums, with globally-renowned brands and restaurants catering to over 2 million visitors. Here are a few of the stats:
Mall Of Qatar
Area- 4.2 million Sq. ft
Parking- 7,000
Doha Festival City
Area- 6.5 million Sq. ft
Parking- 4,000
Tawar Mall
Area- 300,958 Sq.m
Parking- 3,000
North Gate Mall
Area- 100,000 Sq. m
Parking- 4,000
Marina Mall
Area- 1.07 million Sq. ft
Parking- 2,000
(Photo credit: Lusail.com)
84,000 tonnes of structural steel will be used across the 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums and infrastructure projects. That’s more than twice the amount used to build the Burj Khalifa!
More than double the amount of trees will be planted than in all of London’s Hyde Park! That’s right, around 9,200 trees are set to be planted around the 2022 FIFA World Cup venues – a forest in the desert!
Undoubtedly one of the biggest ventures undertaken ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is the development of Lusail City. The city will be home to 200,000 residents living on its four exclusive man-made islands – or, in one of its multi-purpose residential areas.
This futuristic city will be home to the iconic Lusail Stadium where the World Cup opening and closing ceremonies will be held, along with the 2022 World Cup final match. The development will also boast 22 world-class hotels catering to fans visiting from around the world.
(Photo credit: Qatar Rail)
Set to start operations by 2020, the new Doha Metro – part of the nation’s ambitious Qatar Rail project, will have four lines with an approximate overall length of 300 km and 100 stations. It’s estimated to ferry around 1 million visitors during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, as all stadiums are connected through the Metro network.
Tell us your thoughts on the 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations! Were you surprised by any of the stats and figures in this article? Drop us a line in the comments below and tell us your thoughts. Also, don’t forget to like and share this article!
(Words by Asad Bisati)
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