The start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is imminent. This World Cup is extraordinary: the most expensive World Cup in history, the first World Cup to be held in the Arab region, the first World Cup to be held in the northern hemisphere winter, the World Cup where alcoholic beverages are banned in all competition venues, the first world-class large-scale event opened to live audiences since the new crown epidemic...
Sudden announcement of "prohibition" before the start of the game
The 2022 Qatar World Cup is about to start at 0:00 on November 21, Beijing time. For some of the fans who went to the scene, there was one piece of news that may be more important in the schedule.
According to the BBC, before the start of the World Cup, FIFA announced that during the World Cup in Qatar, none of the eight stadiums hosting the event will sell alcoholic beverages to fans.
According to FIFA's previous regulations, during the World Cup in Qatar, fans can buy alcoholic beverages such as beer in specific areas of stadiums and at designated times. With the start of the tournament imminent, FIFA temporarily changed its rules.
FIFA's November 18 statement said: "Following discussions between the authorities of the host country and FIFA, we have decided to set up points of sale for alcoholic beverages on FIFA Fan Day, venues where sales permits have been obtained and other fan gathering places, and points of sale around World Cup venues will be removed." ”
However, fans can still buy non-alcoholic "beer" at World Cup venues.
On November 18, 2022, local time, people passed a competition venue in Doha, Qatar. Photo/Visual China
On the same day, Budweiser, a beer company that owns the exclusive sales rights to World Cup beer, posted on social media: "Well, this is embarrassing. Budweiser subsequently deleted the post. A company spokesman said points of sale at some World Cup venues could not be opened due to "circumstances beyond our control."
The decision announced by FIFA drew displeasure from some fans. According to The New York Times, 29-year-old fan Diego Anbric said, "This is terrible news that beer is part of the atmosphere at the football game." ”
A statement from the Football Supports' Association, a British fan group, said: "Some fans like to drink beer while watching the game, some fans don't, but the real problem is that the 180-degree turn in the last minute before the start of the game shows the lack of communication and transparency from the organisers. ”
Also, the alcohol ban seems to only apply to regular fans. Stadium boxes reserved for FIFA officials and other important guests will still serve alcoholic beverages such as beer, FIFA-designated champagne, wine, etc.
The New York Times said it was unclear why FIFA temporarily changed the rules, and the rules on alcoholic beverages at the Qatar World Cup were repeatedly revised, which may indicate that Qatar's domestic politics and even the Qatari royal family played an important role in it.
The New York Times, citing anonymous sources, said the temporary change in the rules for alcoholic beverages may have originated in Jasim, the brother of Qatar's emir (king), who is the Takar royal family most actively involved in World Cup affairs.
Qatar is an Islamic country with strict alcohol control, and it is illegal to drink alcohol in public. Before the World Cup in Qatar, tourists were only allowed to drink at dozens of licensed hotels and clubs.
The most expensive World Cup in history
As of mid-October, nearly 3 million tickets for the Qatar World Cup were largely sold out. FIFA data shows that in addition to Qatari residents, Saudi Arabians and Emiratis are the largest buyers of tickets for this World Cup.
During the month-long World Cup matches, around 1.2 million fans from around the world will gather in Doha. You know, Qatar's permanent population is only about 3 million. Doha has been given a new look to host these fans, a desert city filled with brand new stadiums and hotels. Even so, it is expected that the number of traditional hotels in Doha will be insufficient, and many fans will stay on cruise ships and desert camps.
After securing the World Cup in 2010, Qatar spent more than 10 years implementing a massive construction program that included seven new stadiums, a new city to host the World Cup finals, a new airport and dozens of hotel, road and bus systems.
According to Bloomberg, the Qatar World Cup is the most expensive World Cup to date. Qatar has spent about $300 billion (about 2 trillion yuan) for this World Cup.
November 19, 2022, Doha, Qatar, the scene of the Qatar World Cup Fan Festival that has been arranged. Photo/Visual China
The most expensive World Cup is also accompanied by a lot of controversy. A 2021 investigative report by the British newspaper The Guardian found that more than 6,500 foreign workers building World Cup venues, hotels and other infrastructure in Qatar have died since 2010, with an average of 12 foreign workers dying every week.
The foreign workers who died were mainly from five South Asian countries, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and the causes of death included safety accidents, car accidents, suicides, and high temperatures.
According to the Guardian, the findings have exposed Qatar's failure to adequately protect the country's more than 2 million foreign workers.
In response to the above report, the Qatari government responded that the death toll is directly proportional to the size of the country's large foreign labor force, including foreign workers who died of natural causes after living in Qatar for many years.
"In terms of the size and demographics of the (foreign workforce), this mortality rate is within expectations." A spokesman for the Qatari government said that in terms of causes of death, only three people were directly related to the construction of World Cup venues.
The World Cup in Qatar has also been embroiled in corruption suspicions. After Qatar won the right to host the World Cup, officials from FIFA and other related organizations were accused of accepting bribes. Former FIFA President Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini have been investigated for bribery allegations relating to Qatar's World Cup hosting rights, but both have denied the allegations.
These controversies aside, the Qatar World Cup is expected to generate record revenue for the hosts as well as FIFA, with billions of people around the world expected to watch the World Cup.
Multiple "firsts" and one "last" of the Qatar World Cup
In addition to the "most expensive", the Qatar World Cup also set several "firsts".
The Qatar World Cup is the first World Cup to be held in the Arab region.
Qatar's Emir (King) Tamim said it was a World Cup representing the entire Arab region.
The Qatar World Cup is also the first Northern Hemisphere Winter World Cup.
In the past, the World Cup was usually held in May, June and July during the summer months. However, Qatar's summers are hot and humid, with summer temperatures reaching temperatures above 40°C. Doha, the country's capital, is one of the hottest cities in the world. In July 2010, Qatar experienced extreme heat of 50.4°C. Such a hot summer is not suitable for high-intensity sports events, so Qatar chose to host the World Cup between November and December.
Tourists take photos in front of the World Cup logo in Doha, Qatar, November 10, 2022. Photo/Visual China
For many professional players, this schedule is stressful. According to National Public Radio (NPR), most European soccer leagues in Europe usually run from the end of summer to the spring of the following year. European professional football leagues such as the Premier League, Bundesliga and La Liga have all announced two-month breaks for the World Cup.
A new report by the International Football Professional Federation (FIFPRO) says the tight schedule has created "unprecedented workload demands" on players. The report said that in the past, Premier League players spent an average of 31 days preparing for the World Cup and had an average of 37 days off after the event, but this year, the preparation time and rest period were reduced to 7 and 8 days respectively.
Darren Burgess, sports science adviser to the International Football Federation, said players would be at very high risk of injury due to their tight schedules.
The Qatar World Cup is also the first major world-class event to open to spectators since the pandemic.
In addition, the Qatar World Cup is the last World Cup in the Round of 32 format. From 2026, the World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams.
Beijing News reporter Chen Yikai
Edited by Liu Qianxian Proofread by Wu Xingfa