The World Cup is finally upon us, and you could say that World Cup fever is starting to ramp up. Domestic football, in the main, has hit the pause button, and now everyone wants to know everything there is to know about the World Cup, its history and what it entails. So, how do some interesting facts about this World Cup in particular sound?
The First World Cup Without the Queen
It wasn’t just the UK in mourning earlier this year when Queen Elizabeth II passed. And, believe it or not, the Qatar 2022 World Cup will be the first World Cup where she hasn’t been around. Queen Elizabeth II was born in 1926, with the first World Cup taking place four years later in 1930. And, as an avid sports fan, Queen Elizabeth attended multiple tournaments, and if she wasn’t there, she was certainly watching live at home. The Royal Family will undoubtedly continue the tradition of watching the World Cup, hoping England finally lift the trophy for the first time since 1966.
Second Asian-Based World Cup
For the most part, it’s Europe and South America where World Cups are based, largely because they have the infrastructure to support such a huge event. But, there has been a World Cup in Asia previously, when Japan and South Korea teamed up to host the 2002 tournament, which was a great success. And Qatar now becomes the second Asian country to host a World Cup, and it’ll be another chance for the continent to prove its worth as the potential home of future international footballing events. It could well enable other countries to host World Cups in years to come.
The Shortest World Cup Ever
Obviously, the Qatar World Cup is happening in November and December, which is mid-season for most players. So, because there is a need to return to domestic action post-World Cup, organizers have ensured that the tournament isn’t going to go on longer than it needs to. Therefore, this World Cup will be the shortest of all time, with the action taking place over just twenty-eight days. There will be a whopping sixty-four games happening in that period of time, so it’s time to buckle in and get ready for some non-stop football action.
Aircon in the Stadiums
The reason why the Qatar World Cup is happening in November and December is that in the summer, it would just be too hot and humid. Let’s face it, it’s still going to be hot when the games get underway, but organizers have already thought of how to deal with this. There will be aircon in all the stadiums hosting World Cup games, not just to keep fans cool but to blow onto the pitch and into the atmosphere to help players stay cool. It’s also expected that regular drink breaks will also take place throughout games, as safety remains the number one priority.