The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will bring the tournament to the Middle East for the first time ever.
Japan will be the first team to arrive at its base camp, FIFA’s Colin Smith during the “One Month to Go” press conference on Monday.
“The first team to arrive, on the 7th of November will be Japan. All 32 teams will be located in top-class facilities in base camps throughout the country,” Smith said.
Japan will be stationed at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Doha and will use Al Sadd Sports Club’s New Training Facility 1 as their base camp.
All 32 teams are to be based at the same top-class facilities throughout the competition, with 24 teams to stay within a 10km radius of each other.
The selection process started in October 2019, when delegates conducted 162 inspections.
Additionally, all team base camps will be decorated with themes of the national teams for the first time in the tournament’s history.
“Each of the 32 team base camps have been decorated with the colours or the identities of the teams that will be there,” Smith said
“These base camps will represent the home away from home for the teams, and we really want to do everything we can to provide the teams with the opportunities to provide us with their top-level performances,” he added.
Ticket sales
Qatar’s World Cup has generated three million tickets, and several matches are now sold out.
Qatar is ranked the highest for the number of ticket purchases, with the US following second and Saudi Arabia at third.
England, Mexico, and the UAE are ranked in the top ten countries to purchase World Cup tickets.
With only a handful remaining tickets for the tournament, FIFA’s Smith revealed that the last batch of tickets will continue to be sold until the end of the World Cup.
Smith also reminded fans to apply for the mandatory Hayya Card and book their accommodation as soon as possible.
Pitch management
Qatar’s upcoming World Cup will host a total of 74 pitches which includes training grounds for the teams as well as the country’s eight stadiums.
“Pitches are of course, at the top of our priority list, both at the training sites and across the stadiums. In total, we’ve got 74 pitches that make up this World Cup, eight in the stadium, 32 in the base camps where there will be two training sites each, and also a referee at base camp,” FIFA’s Smith said.
All stadiums will have artificial grow lights to replace the natural light lost by shading from the roofs and will be maintained by over 700 groundkeepers.
Entertainment venues
Qatar’s World Cup will host several venues outside the FIFA Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park, which will ignite the day before the opening match.
With a capacity of 40,000, the Fan Festival will screen all 64 matches from 10:00AM to 2:00AM.
The renowned Arcadia Music Festival will be hosted in Qatar at the Ras Bu Fontas and have a capacity of 15,000.
The carnival will operate from 10:00AM to 5:00AM each day until the 16 of December.
MDL Beast Aravia will be hosted in Qatar’s Al Wakrah with over 56 acts and 160+ hours of shows from well-known world DJs.
Ras Abu Aboud Beach 974 will also debut during the tournament and will be open when games are not performing, as it has a capacity of 5,000.
The beach will have live music and will require tickets to enter.
For families, Hayya Fan Zone will be placed in Lusail’s Marina and will have an operating hours of 12:00PM to 1:00AM.
QetaiFan Beach Fest will launch in Lusail with over 50 food outlets and match viewing parties.
There will be accommodation of 30,000, driving Lusail to be an amusement centre of its own.
‘Qatar is ready to host’
In attendance at the “One Month to Go” press conference, Nasser Al Khater, Chief Executive Officer of the World Cup, applauded his team’s efforts and all those involved.
“Qatar is ready to host a global celebration of the beautiful game,” he said.
“We look forward to welcoming fans and players from across the world as they sample our welcoming hospitality, vast array of entertainment options, and, of course, top-class international football.
“It promises to be a unique edition of the FIFA World Cup – and one that will leave a lasting, positive impact on Qatar, the Middle East, and the Arab world,” said Al Khater.
Yasir Al Jamal, Director General, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), said: “We look forward to hosting a tournament that will live long in the memory of fans from across the globe”.
