The kick-off for the FIFA world cup 2022 in Qatar is fast approaching, and it promises to be a huge spectacle.
This will be a special edition of the tournament, it will be the last edition to feature the current format ahead of significant changes come 2026.
Many controversial talks have surrounded FIFA’s approval of Qatar as the host country for the world cup this year.
The football body’s human rights record has also spared a lot of concern for the entire football world and the significant changes it is bringing to the calendar of the regular football season.
As we count down to the tournament, here are 5 things you need to know about the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup: 5 things to know
1. THE FIFA WORLD CUP
The FIFA world cup is the biggest international football tournament and the most-watched sporting event in the world. Thirty-two teams will compete for bragging rights to become the world champion for the next four years.
Although FIFA president Gianni Infantino talked about potentially hosting the world cup every other year. It is a tournament every professional footballer will be keen to play in because it is a huge honor for the players to represent their respective countries on football’s biggest stage.
2. First-ever world cup in winter
This will be the first world cup to be played during the winter months. The middle-east heat experienced in June and July needs to be avoided so that the players’ health will not be at risk.
The average high in July is 106 degrees Fahrenheit, while the average in November is 84 degrees Fahrenheit and 75 degrees Fahrenheit in December.
3. The controversies
There have been issues with migrant workers who lost their lives during the construction of the stadiums, slavery allegations, and deaths of the workers.
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Amnesty International and other human rights groups have called for the migrant workers to be compensated with the sum of $440 million to match the prize money of the winning team.
Same-sex relationships are illegal in Qatar, which has caused several boycotts and uproar from LGBTQIA supporters.
There have been talks of bidding corruption allegations with the cost of the Qatar world cup . The football WorldCup is going to be smashing the previous cost records by hundreds of billions of dollars and ex-players boycotting the event for these reasons. The watchful eyes of the entire world will be on Qatar for all the reasons you can think of.
4. Illegality of Alcohol
Drinking alcohol in public is illegal in Qatar. Drinking carries a six-month prison sentence or fine of as much as $850. Alcohol will not be sold during the matches. However, a zone will be set up around the country for fans to have a drink in a designated area.
Nasser Al Khater, the Qatar world cup chief, confirmed that there would be areas designated for fans to sober up.
5. The match ball
With the Jabulani making headlines at the 2010 world cup, ‘Al Rihla pro’ is the official match ball that will be used for the tournament this year which is designed by Addidas. The ball’s name is ‘the journey in Arabic, and its flight will be the fastest ever in the tournament’s history.
Conclusion
There is intense heat in Qatar this summer, therefore, this year’s World Cup will hold from late November to mid-December. This makes it the first time the tournament will not hold in May, June, or July.
The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup is the 22nd FIFA World Cup competition. It will hold from November 20 to December 18, 2022. The Qatar World Cup is also the first-ever World Cup to be held by the Arabs. According to FIFA, the number of teams involved in subsequent World Cups will increase to 48.
