Qatar is reportedly planning to open more than 100 hotels and “serviced residences” to satisfy the expected demand.

Fans who have failed to secure a match ticket to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 are not allowed into the country during the major event due to alleged accommodation concerns.

With the World Cup Draw finalised on Friday, supporters learnt that a match ticket is their way into the Gulf country as it will grant them an official FIFA ID, the Hayya card. This will in turn facilitate entry visas for international visitors.

Got your FIFA World Cup 2022 tickets? Here’s everything you need to know

Upon attaining a ticket, fans need to apply for the mandatory Hayya card, which is a ‘fan ID’ that will also enable entry to stadiums and provide a series privileges, including free public transportation during match days.

In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism Berhold Trenkel said: “A decision has been taken that only fans with match tickets will be allowed visas. They will need official fan IDs to get into Qatar and those who do not have them will not be allowed to travel.”

“The rules are strict and are there for a reason.”

The move is expected to prevent the repetition of the disruption witnessed during the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley Stadium in the United Kingdom, in July 2021, where the significant number of ticketless attendees were identified as an ‘indicating’ factor by an independent review commissioned by the Football Association, reports state.

Last summer’s event in the UK was seen as “near miss” of fatalities and a “source of national shame,” the Football Association found.

The Sun further reported that a source argued, “we would expect a large number of England fans to want to come to Qatar to enjoy our hospitality even if they don’t have a ticket for a game but we can’t allow for that to happen as there is a danger we won’t have any room for them.”

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tickets

Football enthusiasts are presented with another chance to claim their World Cup tickets as the next phase of ticket sales launched on Tuesday.

The second Random Selection Draw sales period will run from 12:00 PM Doha time on 5 April until 12:00 PM Doha time on 28 April.

This follows the final draw for the mega football event and with fans now knowing which teams will be playing against which.

The tickets are divided into four categories: Individual match tickets, Supporter tickets, Conditional supporter tickets, and the Four-Stadium ticket series.

People whose ticket applications went through successfully will be notified of the outcome of their approval status no later than 31st May, which is also in conjunction with the start of the payment stage.

In order to receive information regarding the Random Selection Draw sales period, interested individuals should register through this link: https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/worldcup/qatar2022/register-interest

29 of the total 32 teams have officially qualified for the tournament. Three slots remain to be announced in June.