One irony in the 2018 and 2022 that Russia is the world largest country in terms of area 17 million square meters, and Qatar is one of smallest countries in the world (#163) with 11,000 square meters only and 1.6 million people there.
What is impressive is the huge advance that happened in Qatar in the last two decades. Not long ago, during 1990 WC, I remember my friends who went to Qatar used to tell me, that it is VERY behind country, you drive and you find incomplete roads, and sands all over.
Now it is full of sky scrapers with huge constructions everywhere. It is amazing how this small country managed to convince the FIFA to host the World Cup.
Introduction of the first five stadium for 2022 World Cup
Qatar story with the global soccer started in 1981 Youth World Cup in Australia. Qatar reached the final after beating Brazil 3-2 in QF and England 2-1 in SF with really nice goals. They lost to Germany 0-4 in the final.
However, the real competency of organizing something big came in 1995 when Nigeria supposed to host the Youth World Cup and FIFA decided not to do so for health reasons. Qatar offered to host the World Cup and it had just 21 days to prepare for it, and it did a great job in that. It saved the FIFA face that year. Since then, and the relationship started to develop with FIFA and it paid back a lot.
Qatar will be the smallest country to ever host the world cup in every measure you take, except the money:
Qatar will spend $4 billion in new stadiums and another $43 billions in infrastructure projects, including high speed train, new international airport.
The thing that I liked most is the very elegant promotional campaign for Qatar 2022, especially with the Maestro, Zizou
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