The 2022 World Cup In Numbers So Far – 5 Facts

The FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off on Sunday 20 November with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador. The month-long football feast ends on 18 December at the 80 000-seater Lusail Iconic Stadium. 

During that period billions of fans will view the action from across 200 countries. 

Brazil and Argentina have been installed as the favourites to lift the crown. Brazil last won the World Cup in 2002, incidentally the last time the tournament was held in Asia.  

Defending champions France, led by Kylian Mbappe are in with a shout ahead of England and Spain.

Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia, and Senegal represent Africa. The latter are continental champions and pose the strongest threat spearheaded by Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane. 

Ahead of Sunday’s opening match, we take a dive into the important numbers that matter in Qatar.

Important Numbers That Matter In Qatar

22 – The World Cup is a quadrennial tournament that first took place in 1930, the Qatar edition is the 22nd World Cup. FIFA’s decision to accept Qatar’s bid makes it the first Arab nation to host the tournament. 

7  – The number of new stadiums built for the World Cup. Qatar’s gross domestic product (GDP) hit $179.6 billion in 2021 thanks to its oil and natural gas income drivers. The country spared no expense to construct seven new stadiums and spruce up one in the Doha region. All but one stadium will have air-conditioning systems inside to help fans and players cool down from the hot temperatures caused by the desert climate. 

$229 billion – The approximate cost Qatar is spending to host its first World Cup making it the most expensive edition yet. That is almost 20 times more than Russia spent for the 2018 edition. Qatar is the smallest country to host the tournament. 

32 – The number of teams competing in the World Cup. This is the final time the tournament will field that number of teams and have 64 matches. In 2026, the competition grows to 48 teams and a total of 80 matches will be played. 

28 – The average hot temperature (Celsius) in Qatar during November. The 2022 World Cup is the first edition to be held during winter in the Northern Hemisphere for the fans and players to enjoy cooler conditions. Mercifully in December, the average high temperature is just 23 degrees. 

Despite the controversy around awarding Qatar the World Cup, the football world has always come together to celebrate the top players representing their countries and on Sunday it’ll be no different. 

BET Contributor