Qatar 2022: One-month countdown begins

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April 19 2024, 07:30 PM

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Bengaluru/Doha, October 20: The clock is ticking as the one-month countdown for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, the first to be held in the Middle East and the entire Arab region begins today (October 20).

For the records, the Qatar 2022 will be a 29-day affair -- the shortest in FIFA World Cup history -- with the tiny Middle East country hosting the mega event at eight venues -- Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Educational City, Al Rayyan, Al Bayt, Al Thumama, Stadium 974 and Lusail Stadium.

Qatar 2022 was initially supposed to start on Novermber 21, but FIFA formally advanced the World Cup start by a day and given host nation an exclusive Sunday evening slot with a global audience.

Qatar will play Ecuador in Doha on November 20 -- just 101 days after FIFA's decision -- stretching the World Cup to 29 days from the 28 agreed seven years ago after a June-July tournament was pushed back to avoid the mid-summer temperature in the Gulf country.

The surprise late switch was signed off by a FIFA committee comprising its president Gianni Infantino and presidents of the six continental football bodies.

Qatar will now make its FIFA World Cup debut kicking off against Ecuador at 7 pm local time on November 20 after an opening ceremony on the field at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium.

Save The Date!

The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup will start on November 20 and the final will be held on December 18, to coincide with Qatar's National Day at the 80,000-seater iconic Lusail Stadium, which embodies the country's ambition and its passion for sharing Arab culture with the world.

Champions France face familiar opponents Australia, Denmark and Tunisia in Group D while sentimental favourites Brazil and drawn in Group G along with Switzerland and Cameroon.

Lusail to host final

The 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium hosted the Qatar Stars League (QSL) tie between Al Rayyan and Al Arabi in its inaugural match.

The stunning venue, which is located in the pioneering Lusail City, 15kms north of central Doha, will host matches during every stage of Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, starting with the Group C clash between Argentina and Saudi Arabia on November 22.

Arab culture

The stadium embodies Qatar's ambition and its passion for sharing Arab culture with the world. The design of the stadium was inspired by the interplay of light and shadow that characterises the fanar lantern.

Its shape and golden facade echo the intricate decorative motifs on bowls, vessels and other art pieces found across the Arab and Islamic world during the rise of civilisation in the region.

Many firsts

Qatar 2022 will have any firsts to its credit as it first in the FIFA's 92-year history to be played in a Muslim country with such strict social taboos around alcohol.

Questions about how Qatar would cater for fans wanting to drink alcohol have been asked since FIFA picked the host nation in 2010. The next year, FIFA renewed a sponsor deal through 2022 with Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busc.