The excitement really is mounting as the 22nd edition of the World Cup, Qatar 2022, gets closer and closer. As you might expect, people are already speculating who will emerge victorious from the greatest tournament on Earth. World Cup betting has begun, with punters placing their bets in advance, knowing that if their prediction is correct they can reap more money from their bet. Brazil, who are famous as a footballing nation, are the favorites to lift the trophy and take it home to South America.
Part of the excitement about the World Cup stems from the fact this year’s tournament will be so different from previous ones. Below is a look at some of the facts about the tournament that help to distinguish it from previous World Cups.
The first World Cup to take place in the Middle East
As the subheading suggests, this is the first time the tournament has been held in the Middle East, and it will begin on 20 November and end on 18 December 2022, which falls in the Qatari winter. Both the location and the dates of the tournament are different to previous World Cups as, traditionally, the tournament has been contested in the summer, in June and July.
The temperature is expected to be around 24 to 28 degrees Celsius on average. The tournament has been scheduled deliberately in these dates to avoid players suffering from heat exhaustion.
Female referees will be in charge of games for the first time
Thirty-six referees have been selected to take charge of games at the tournament. Three of these referees are ladies, and it will be the first time women have refereed matches at the World Cup.
Stephanie Frappart (France), Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan) and Salima Mukansanga (Rwanda) have all officiated at men’s soccer tournaments. These include the Africa Cup of Nations and the UEFA Super Cup. Three more women will join them at the tournament as one of the 69 assistant referees who will be officiating.
The tournament has a “group of death”
Group B, the “group of death” as this year’s group B has been nicknamed by the media, isn’t quite as dramatic as it sounds. However, the group presents some of the testiest rivalries the World Cup has seen in a long, long time. Residing in the group are Iran, the United States and Wales, who aren’t major footballing nations on football unlike their counterparts in the group, England. They have, nevertheless, been quietly getting stronger and stronger in international competition, and the world could see an upset in the group.
The US’s 2-1 humiliation at the Stade de Garde in 1998 by Iran is something the American squad would like to put right, even after all these years. Meanwhile, between the English sticks, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will be mindful of the fumble by Rob Green that embarrassed England in international competition against the United States, out in South Africa in 2010.
The tournament will be the ‘smallest’ World Cup ever
The World Cup may be the biggest tournament on the planet, but Qatar will be the most compact location to ever host it. The country possesses a surface area of approximately 11,500 square kilometers (4,440 square miles) and has a population of around 2.9 million, which makes it the smallest country to welcome the World Cup.
Each of the eight stadiums selected for games stands within a 50 kilometer (31 mile) radius of the Qatari capital, Doha. Four games per day will take place in the group stages. Some consider the size of the location a good thing because it will allow spectators to watch more than one match a day. Others feel it’s a setback, fearing the masses of visitors the tournament will attract will cause a serious amount of congestion on Qatar’s streets.
Larger squads and extra substitutions
At Russia 2018, teams were permitted only a squad of 23; this year, they’ve been able to name a squad of 26 players for the tournament. One of the reasons for this has been the timing of the tournament, an unusual time in the context of the World Cup.
Any fan hoping to see more of their favorite football players on the pitches may well get that wish, too, as teams this year will be able to make five substitutions. At Russia 2018, they were only allowed to make three. The scheduling of the tournament has been cited as one of the reasons for this change, but naturally, games may also benefit from teams being able to bring more fresh legs on the pitch who might be able to create opportunities.
Qatar 2022 is almost here, and it’s going to be so different to previous World Cups. This, of course, is a good thing as it’s a sign of the sport progressing even further. Long may this type of development continue.
