Staging the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has been one of the most controversial footballing decisions in recent memory. From the rearrangement of the regular European footballing schedule to the questions over Qatar’s human rights record, the FIFA World Cup 2022 has spanned beyond the constraints of regular season football, well before the competition has even begun.
With the competition due to begin next month, the action is set to come thick and fast presenting plenty of opportunities for all sportsbooks – both old and new football bookmakers, making their offers to football betting enthusiasts. Fans, pundits, players, and managers alike will all be desperate to put the conjecture to one side and finally let the football do the talking but there are some nuances the 2022 FIFA World Cup promises to throw up.
In comparison to many other nations that have previously hosted a FIFA World Cup, Qatar does not possess the rich and fabled history of football within its nation. As a consequence, a huge amount of the infrastructure required to host a World Cup was developed from scratch in preparation for Qatar 2022.
Football stadiums are often a moot point for fans and players, as they have the potential to provide both the perfect and worst possible backdrop for games to be played in. Iconic stadia such as the San Siro, the Nou Camp and the Maracana have all hosted incredible football matches, that have shaped the way in which the game is played and perceived today.
With so many stadiums being prepared in a relatively short space of time ahead of the Qatar World Cup this year, here is a rundown of what to expect from the stadiums at the 2022 FIFA World Cup:
Brand New Stadiums
One of the key innovations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was the decision by the organising bodies to develop just 8 different stadiums to host the 64 games that are to be played. In comparison to some other recent FIFA and UEFA tournaments, this number is significantly lower but is perhaps not so surprising given Qatar’s relatively small land mass.
All 8 stadiums being used for the 2022 FIFA World Cup have been built specifically for the competition and promise to deliver state-of-the-art facilities for fans and players in equal measure.
Here are the 8 stadiums being used at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar:
|
Stadium Name |
Capacity |
|
Lusail Iconic Stadium |
80,000 |
|
Al Bayt Stadium |
60,000 |
|
Khalifa International Stadium |
45,416 |
|
Education City Stadium |
45,350 |
|
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium |
44,740 |
|
Al Janoub Stadium |
40,000 |
|
Stadium 974 |
40,000 |
|
Al Thumama |
40,000 |
Every single one of the aforementioned stadia has been developed in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making it one of the biggest developments in both footballing and sporting history.
With the biggest capacity, the Lusail Iconic Stadium will be the venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Finalwhich takes place on 18th December 2022, whilst the opening game between hosts Qatar and Ecuador will take place at Al Bayt Stadium on 20th November 2022.
Keeping it cool
Staging the World Cup in the Middle Eastern heat of Qatar has always been seen as a controversial move by FIFA, with player welfare and safety seemingly not top of the agenda.
However, one of the key elements of Qatar’s successful bid to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup was the promise that all of the stadiums that host matches will be air-conditioned to ensure both player and fan comfort is at an all-time high.
The environmental impact of this is one that has been debated heavily but with just over a month to go, organisers appear to be on track to deliver on their promise of air-conditioned stadia across the World Cup.
With a regulated temperature of 21 degrees Celsius at pitch level, which should also be replicated in the stands, keeping the stadiums cool has been a key objective by the organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and it is something they will need to uphold throughout the competition.
Human Cost and Bribery Allegations
One of the key criticisms levelled at Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been the human cost associated with the huge developments needed within the country in order for the stadiums for players to play in.
Ever since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar back in 2010, the Qatari government has been increasing the number of migrant workers within the country, to assist with the huge developmental project. Official numbers are hard to come by but there are multiple reports of migrant workers being both overworked and underpaid in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, posing a huge moral question mark over the staging of the tournament there altogether.
In addition, poor working and living conditions have led to thousands of migrant deaths taking place in Qatar over the past decade, with a high percentage of those casualties being linked to the construction of the 2022 FIFA World Cup stadia.
The decision to award Qatar the 2022 FIFA World Cup is also shrouded in controversy, with many FIFA and Qatari delegates being embroiled in bribery allegations, leading to the former FIFA President Sepp Blatter being tried in court for his role in the awarding of the tournament to Qatar.
Qatar Legacy
In comparison to some of the other major sporting events that have taken place across the world in recent years, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is seemingly working hard to ensure that the tournament has a legacy, that transcends beyond just one month of football.
All of the 8 stadiums that are being used to host the competition have pledged to donate the top tiers of their stadia to other, less developed sporting nations on completion of the games in Qatar.
Furthermore, the stadiums being used to host the FIFA World Cup in Qatar will all have a functional use for domestic football within the country after the tournament, in an attempt to grow the game of football in Qatar and neighbouring countries.
