Qatar make their World Cup debut in a controversial tournament of firsts | CNN

Doha, Qatar
CNN
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There have been 21 editions of the Men’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1930, but Qatar 2022 should be a tournament like no other.

Ever since it was announced as the host city almost 12 years ago, it has always been destined to be a World Cup of firsts.

From extreme weather conditions to tournament debuts, CNN takes a look at how this year’s competition will innovate.

It will be the first time that the Qatar men’s national team has made it to a World Cup final, having failed to qualify by the usual means in the past.

FIFA, the sport’s governing body, allows a host country to take part in a World Cup without having to go through the qualifying rounds, meaning the tiny Gulf state can now compete against the best in world football .

Qatar are relatively new to the sport, having played their first official match in 1970, but the country has fallen in love with the beautiful game and the national team has steadily improved.

In 2004, the Aspire Academy was founded with the hope of finding and developing all of Qatar’s most talented sportsmen.

In recent years, this has reaped rewards for his football team. Qatar won the Asian Cup in 2019, capping one of the most memorable runs in the tournament’s history, conceding just one goal throughout the tournament.

Seventy percent of the team that won the trophy came through the academy, and that number has only increased as the World Cup approaches.

Coached by the Spaniard Felix Sanchez, Qatar will seek to surprise and face a relatively friendly group, alongside Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands.

The World Cup has always been held in May, June or July, but Qatar 2022 will break with that tradition – more out of necessity.

Temperatures in Qatar can reach over 40 degrees Celsius during these months, so with that in mind the tournament has been moved to a cooler time.

However, winter in Qatar is a relative term with temperatures still likely to be around 30 degrees, but organizers hope to combat the heat with several methods, such as high-tech cooling systems in stadiums.

Changing tournament dates have wreaked havoc on some of the world’s biggest domestic leagues.

All of Europe’s top leagues have had to take a winter break from their schedules, which means crowded fixture lists before and after the tournament.

One of FIFA’s justifications for awarding hosting rights to Qatar was the possibility of taking the tournament to a new part of the world.

None of the previous 21 World Cups have been held in an Islamic country and this month’s tournament will be a chance for the region to celebrate its growing love for the game.

However, this arguably raises a few issues that the organizers had to deal with. For many fans, drinking has been, and will continue to be, a big part of the experience of such tournaments.

In Qatar, however, it is illegal to be seen drunk in public, which has forced organizers to find inventive ways around the problem.

As a result, alcohol will only be served in designated fan parks around Doha and there will be separate areas for fans to sober up before and after matches.

Another question mark around the tournament is how the country will be able to handle the expected influx of one million visitors, given that it is the smallest country to host the World Cup, with a population of just under three million inhabitants.

As a result, all eight stadiums are in and around Doha, the capital, and are all within an hour’s drive of each other.

Organizers say travel infrastructure – including buses, metro and car rentals – will be able to cope with the increased pressure.

One of the advantages of the short distances between venues is that fans will be able to see up to two games in one day. Traffic should be kind.

Due to its size, Qatar also had to be smart with its accommodation. Two cruise ships, MSC Poesia and MSC World Europa, are docked in Doha to provide support to hotels.

Both ships will offer the usual cruise ship experience, but fans will sail no further than the 10-minute shuttle ride to the heart of Doha.

For fans prone to seasickness, the organizers have also built three “Fan Villages” which will provide a place to stay on the outskirts of the city.

These include a variety of accommodation – including caravans, portacabins and even camping experiences – and all are located within reasonable distances of the sites.

Plus, for those who can afford a little more, there will be luxury yachts moored in Doha Port, which can offer a place to sleep for, let’s face it, an exorbitant price.

FIFA has pledged to make Qatar 2022 the first carbon-neutral World Cup as world football’s governing body continues its commitment to making sport more environmentally friendly.

Along with Qatar, it has pledged to offset carbon emissions by investing in green projects and buying carbon credits – a common practice used by companies to “undo” the impact of a carbon footprint.

Qatar, the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide per capita, said it would keep emissions low and remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as the tournament produces by investing in projects that will capture the gases Greenhouse effect.

For example, it will sow the seeds for the world’s largest grass farm by planting 679,000 shrubs and 16,000 trees.

The plants will be laid in stadiums and elsewhere in the country and are expected to absorb thousands of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year.

However, critics accused the organizers of “greenwashing” the event – a term used to call out those trying to cover up their environmental and climate damage with false, misleading or exaggerated green initiatives.

Carbon Market Watch (CMW), a nonprofit advocacy group specializing in carbon pricing, says Qatar’s calculations are grossly understated.

Qatar 2022 will also see female referees officiating a men’s World Cup match for the first time.

Yamashita Yoshimi, Salima Mukansanga and Stephanie Frappart have all been named among the 36 officials selected for the tournament.

They will be joined by Neuza Back, Karen Diaz Medina and American Kathryn Nesbitt, who will travel to the Gulf nation as assistants.

Frappart is arguably the most famous name on the list having written her name in the history books in 2020 by becoming the first woman to take charge of a men’s Champions League game.

But Rwanda’s Mukansanga, who is looking to learn from her in Qatar, told CNN she was thrilled to take on the challenge of officiating at a major tournament.

“I would watch what the referees do, just to copy the best things they do, so that one day I’ll be in the World Cup like that,” she said, adding that her family were looking forward to it. see his entry into the field.

It is not yet decided when the women will referee their first match of the tournament, but there will be new rules to apply.

For the first time, teams will be able to use up to five substitutes and managers will now be able to choose from a squad of 26 players, instead of the usual 23.

Qatar 2022 is due to start on November 20. You can follow CNN’s World Cup coverage here.