Qatar has spent more than $200 billion preparing for the tournament, which has been dogged by controversy and criticism since day one. The 2018 edition of the tournament was the costliest ever when Russia paid close to $14 billion. Brazil spent around $12 billion when it hosted the World Cup in 2014.
It is important to note that previous hosts of the tournament had a strong football culture and infrastructure, something that did not appeal to Qatar. This meant that the country had to go the extra mile to accommodate the demands of the tournament, which is one of the most watched sporting events in the world.
Despite hosting a winter season for the first time in its history, experts say players are at risk of heat stroke in Qatar during the World Cup. To assist the players, Doha has built in air conditioners in seven stadiums. Popular football nations, including but not limited to European nations, have been critical of the way Qatar has prepared for the tournament. Corruption, human rights abuses, hostility towards gays, and for some, a lack of beer at stadium sites. The Qataris could hardly have furthered their cause when their World Cup ambassador (and former national player) Khalid Salman described homosexuality as “haram” (forbidden) and “mind damage”.
Despite the criticisms and criticisms, the tournament is expected to garner record viewership in Qatar and elsewhere.
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Since winning the bid to host the World Cup in 2010, Qatar has spent over $250 billion on football-related development, a figure comparable to the estimated $42 billion spent by China on the 2008 Beijing Olympics and $55 billion by Russia. is more than Winter Olympics in 2014.
Ten billion have gone to eight football stadiums. The rest of the country was dedicated to wholesale transformation: a complete remodeling of Downtown Doha; the construction of nearly a hundred new hotels; port and airport expansion; a modified road system; construction of three metro lines; and a new city with homes for over a million people.
It’s no surprise that a country with a population of less than three million people has spent huge sums of money over the last decade to host the biggest sporting event. The tournament is expected to see around 1.2 million fans in the country, and while many can live in neighboring countries, housing in Qatar itself has been a major challenge for organisers.
It is from here that the neighboring countries of Qatar are sure to benefit. Qatar will have more than 90 new daily flights, 40 from the United Arab Emirates, and Dubai, 45 minutes from Doha, will be the tournament’s main gateway. Saudi Arabia and Oman are counting on a spillover of tourists: if your team gets eliminated in the first round, what easier place to console yourself than on a beach by the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean?
Last month, officials began releasing thousands of rooms that were previously closed to the public. In October, a government spokesman said it was on its way to providing 130,000 rooms for the tournament, with more than 117,000 rooms currently available.
Reports suggest that the one-month tournament is on top of the roughly $5.4 billion in revenue that the 2018 World Cup in Russia generated for FIFA, the governing body of soccer.
FIFA has reportedly pre-sold broadcast rights, around 240,000 hospitality packages and around three million tickets for the event. The World Cup is sponsored by major brands including Adidas AG and The Coca-Cola Company.
Tournament chiefs say 2.9 million of the 3.1 million tickets sold have been sold, with fans waiting outside ticket centers hoping to see top games.
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