A review on Qatar’s world cup journey
The lavish opening ceremony for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, which Qatar is hosting, took place in November till December. The Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman and Qatari social media personality Ghanim al-Muftah hosted the ceremony, which was a star-studded event held in Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar. Ghanim al-Muftah delivered a message of inclusion before the Holy Quran was recited. In addition, Jungkook, a member of the South Korean boy band BTS, gave a World Cup performance of his solo hit, “Dreamers.” The ceremony came to a successful conclusion, as Qatar and Ecuador played in the opening World Cup game. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM begun in earnest with 65 scheduled games involving a total of 32 countries at eight locations in Qatar. Here are 10 likely-unknown facts regarding the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM:
- Held in the first Middle Eastern and Muslim nation
Qatar became the first Muslim-majority nation in the Gulf to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. Back in 2010, Qatar defeated the USA, Japan, South Korea, and Australia to win the right to host the World Cup.
2. Qatar team’s first participation in the competition
Qatar’s national football squad competed in the World Cup for the first time in 2022 thanks to the host nation’s automatic qualification.
3. Quranic recitation during the inaugural ceremony
The Holy Quran‘s words from Surah al-Hujurat were recited before the World Cup 2022 began. Influencer from Qatar named Ghanim Al Muftah recited the following verses:
“O, people! We created you from a male and a female, and We made you races and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. The best among you before Allah is the most righteous.” [Surah al-Hujurat:13]
4. The first winter FIFA World Cup
This was the first time the World Cup has been hosted in November and December as opposed to May, June, or July. This is a result of the harsh weather in Qatar in the summer. Despite having milder temperatures in November, all eight of Qatar’s stadiums are fully air-conditioned.
5. No alcohol is sold at the stadiums
Alcohol was not permitted in the stadiums during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. Beer was only sold in fan zones and hospitality boxes.
6. The Priciest World Cup for the Hosts Ever
Given that Qatar has invested almost $220 billion in the infrastructure required to effectively stage such a sizable event, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM is the most costly world cup for a host nation ever. The majority of this sum was used by Qatar to upgrade its hotels, stadiums, and highways so that they are appropriate for tourists.
7. A carbon neutral World Cup
Qatar hosted a carbon-neutral competition through a four-step approach that includes awareness, measurement, reduction, and offsetting. This entails the use of recyclable materials, stadiums that are water and energy efficient, renewable energy sources, and the offset of all greenhouse gas emissions.
8. Female referees for the fist-time at men’s World Cup
The first men’s World Cup match was officiated by female referees. Yamashita Yoshimi, Salima Mukansanga, and Stephanie Frappart are the only three female referees out of the total of 36.
9. First World Cup stadium to be completely demountable
Stadium 974, which was constructed from 974 shipping containers, will be taken apart after the competition and transformed into a brand-new waterfront complex.
10. The Smallest Country to Host a World Cup
Geographically and in terms of population, Qatar is the smallest country to have ever hosted the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. Uruguay, which served as the event’s host country in 1930, held the previous record.
