Qatar was just awarded the 2024 World Cup, and it’s poised to become one of the biggest sporting events in history. What can you expect from this exciting event? What will change in the region? How will this affect the world? See here for more information about Qatar 2024 and get an inside look at Qatar 2024 and what to expect when football makes its return to the Middle East.
The Stadiums
It is estimated that there will be eight stadiums built for Qatar 2024. The first stadium, Al Wakrah Stadium, has already been completed in Doha and was inaugurated on November 10th of this year. There will be six more stadiums constructed in Qatar with two located in Lusail City. These buildings are slated to be completed by 2020 and 2024 respectively. All of these stadiums are expected to have capacities of at least 40,000 spectators and have all been designed with sustainability in mind.
While it has yet to be confirmed which nations will host games, it seems likely that these stadiums would cater to four different regions. For example, one region may include the Eastern Province while another could encompass the capital city of Doha. Other areas could contain stadiums such as the Sports City Arena and the Khalifa International Stadium, both of which are currently being used for FIFA tournaments.
Although Qatar is a small country relative to its neighbors such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain; it nonetheless possesses an abundance of land space. According to BBC News, approximately 60% of Qatar’s population lives in cities or urbanized areas so much of this available space can now be devoted towards sports complexes like those mentioned above. With sustainable living at the forefront when constructing these venues, there should not only be adequate resources but also a focus on minimizing waste generation.
The Fans
The most significant change will be in attendance with only 300,000 tickets being available for the public. This can be a good thing because it will allow for more room and better viewing for those who are there. However, it also means that many fans who have had the privilege of attending before will not be able to go again. Qatar has also made sure that everyone is aware of what they are doing by making sure they are holding events all over Europe and Asia to make up for lost time. For example, they have already hosted an international handball event at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium where Michael Jordan was on hand to watch his son play basketball.
It is clear that Qatar has put a lot of thought into this and is doing everything possible to make this a memorable event. Even if you can’t make it out to Doha or one of their other world tour stops, you’ll know how much went into putting together such a big event. That’s not even counting all of the economic benefits that come along with hosting the Olympics which include creating jobs, tourism, and improvements to infrastructure like airports. All things considered, Qatar 2024 news is looking very promising so far!
The Teams
The event will take place in eight cities across the country, which means you’ll have plenty of options for where to stay if you’re planning on attending. The 8 cities that will host games are Doha, Al Wakrah, Al Khor, Umm Salal Mohammed Bin Qassim Al Thani Stadium in Al Khor City, Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, Qatar University Sports Complex Stadium in Education City West Bay Lagoon Stadium and Khalifa International Stadium.
The Women’s Team: As of now, there has been no confirmation that women will be allowed to compete at the next World Cup. If they do, they would only do so at smaller stadiums because of cultural beliefs. The Qualifiers: It will be easier than ever to qualify for this year’s edition due to reforms by FIFA. More teams could get their chance as long as they perform well enough in their continental competitions. Qualification rounds start September 4th, with 12 places up for grabs in Africa and Asia and 14 places up for grabs in CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. Teams who win a spot in one of these three regions don’t need to go through another round, but those who fail to make it can still play off against one another for the remaining spots. Here is how qualification rounds break down regionally
- Africa-12 positions available; qualifying starts Sept. 4th
- Asia-10 positions available; qualifying starts Nov. 6th
- CONCACAF-14 positions available; qualifying starts Oct 3rd
- CONMEBOL-10 positions available; qualifying starts Oct 10th
- UEFA-13 positions available; qualifying starts Sept. 6
The Celebration
It’s been 20 years since Qatar last hosted a major international event, but this time around, they’re not just hosting one; they’re hosting two. In addition to hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2024, Qatar will also be hosting the 2020 Olympics. While it may seem like an audacious undertaking on their part, many are excited for what this means for the future of both events.
The fact that Qatar was awarded these two events back-to-back has caused many people to speculate about whether or not this is a good idea, but there are some positives that come with it as well. For one thing, there will be more opportunities and interest in sports in Qatar as a result of these events, which can only be seen as a good thing. With so much focus on the sport in Qatar now, hopefully we’ll see a rise in quality of play amongst players at all levels–from children playing recreationally to professionals trying to make it big. Furthermore, with so much attention being paid to sport over the next few years, new infrastructure will no doubt be developed and put into place–much of which we hope will serve communities long after the games have ended. If you want updates on how things are going during this period of change in Qatari society, stay tuned here!
Conclusion
The FIFA World Cup is coming back, and Qatar is hosting it. The country will have to make a lot of changes in order to prepare for this event. It will take a lot of time and resources, but it will be worth it in the end.
