Why is the World Cup in November?
In case you do not already know, a November-December World Cup is unorthodox. In fact, this is the first ever tournament to be held in the winter months, a big departure from the usual summer tournament that fans expect every four years.The reason for this drastic change in FIFA's modus operandi is that Qatar, the host nation, is a desert nation; a gulf nation. This makes it hotter than many other regions of the world in the summer and not conducive for active sports. For this reason, FIFA and Qatar had to move the tournament to the winter months of November/December when the weather is much cooler in the host nation.
Why you should travel to Qatar for the World Cup
Qatar is a popular tourist destination for many who enjoy sightseeing in various countries during holidays. It is also popular amongst travellers who just want to enjoy the fun side of different lands.The World Cup will make a tourist trip even more special as it kicks off on Qatar's national day, which is the biggest holiday in the country. It is celebrated with lots of glitz and glamour and every citizen, as well as visitors, are treated to Qatar's best.
There are also quite a lot of innovations in the upcoming World Cup which hardcore football fans will be looking forward to witnessing live. In the coming sections, we will also point out some of the sights that could keep fans entertained during the tournament.
Some of Qatar's key sights and offerings
Qatar has five museums, all of which are in Doha, the capital city of the nation. The museums preserve Qatar's national history and its history with the religion of Islam, which has become the nation's identity like every other Middle Eastern nation.Qatar is also an architectural heaven, with lots of estates, buildings and edifices which show the latest in architectural innovation. One of the most popular is The Pearl, an artificial island in Doha that is home to the most exquisite hotels, boutiques and fun spots.
The World Cup will hold in and around the city of Doha which is home to many of Qatar's best attractions. This means that football fans will be entertained both in and out of the stadiums.
Qatar 2022 stadiums
The nation of Qatar made some heavy investments which promises absolute comfort for both teams and fans who will be cheering their favourite teams at the tournament. There are eight state-of-the-art stadiums ready to host the world when the World Cup begins in November.The stadiums which will host the tournament are Al Bayt Stadium, Lusail Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium, Stadium 974, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Education City Stadium and Al Thumama Stadium.
They are located in Doha and in its surrounding areas which limit commute time for teams and fans. All stadiums come with fitted air conditioning units to help the players and the fans cool off while on the pitch, for a more enjoy6gameday experience.
World Cup tickets
Now, we have come to the cons about the upcoming ‘mundial’ in Qatar. Fans who are travelling for the tournament will have to bear in mind that the event will be very expensive. The cheapest match ticket is sold around €150 with some matches selling for as high as €4,000.There is also a very long waiting list for the tickets which are sold in Windows. This means that if an intending fan fails to get them during the stipulated windows, they may miss out on the live action and have to enjoy the games at fan parks across the country.
In the next section, we will briefly outline some of the things to look out for as fans to not get into trouble with the Qatari authorities.
Important things to note
One of the major reasons for the worldwide backlash against Qatar as the host nation of the World Cup is its human rights record. However, the country has doubled down on its ability to respect all people.If this is an issue, kindly watch from home like the estimated 500 million television audience FIFA is hoping to pull for the tournament. Also, public displays of affection especially by same sex couples and alcohol consumption are frowned upon in Qatar. There will be designated fan parks and venues that sell alcohol, however, as football fans are rarely separated from ‘their’ alcohol.
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