The 2022 World Cup’s most interesting factoids
The World Cup is a global sporting event like no other. Bringing together 32 nations all competing for the title of World Cup 2022 champions, it’s a big deal.
Considered the world’s most anticipated sporting event, everyone tunes in. Die-hard fans, “fans” that tune in once every four years, and even your Aunt Carol will be catching a game or two. Don’t believe me? Almost half of the world’s population, that’s 3.2 billion people, watched in 2014. So, the chances that Aunt Carol did see more than just a few highlights are quite high, and it’s safe to say that this year’s 22nd World Cup may very well break that record. Held in the Middle East for the first time in the history of the competition, the World Cup’s newly chosen hemisphere has already made 2022’s month-long competition one to remember.
For starters, Qatar, a country 22 times smaller than the U.K, is somehow going to squeeze in the largest number of visitors to date. 1.5 million fans are expected to pass through, a number that almost exceeds half of the Qatari population. Though, I’m pretty sure they’ve got it under control, because they’re building a lot of amazing stuff. A new airport, metro and road systems, an entirely new metropolis, and 100 World Cup 2022 hotels have all been built from scratch. It’s a number that definitely exceeds that Deliveroo bill you racked up last month. While it’s common knowledge that the price tag of the World Cup continues to increase through the decades, this year has produced a jaw-dropping USD 220 billion expenditure. Pocket change, right? Interestingly though, despite being the costliest of Cups, only eight stadiums have been prepared, the lowest number of the competition in the last decade. Quality over quantity.
Furthermore, the 2022 World Cup is experiencing a slight schedule change for the first time in its history, and it has caused quite a lot of backlash, but the reasoning for it is legit. In the height of summer, the Middle East gets hot. Think highs of 40C that regularly reach 50C. So, despite many European leagues having to change their regular season’s schedule, we know they’ll thank the federation for their decision later. Nonetheless, even with a winter kick-off, all eight stadiums will still be fully air conditioned, another World Cup first.
Despite the many pivotal moments that have already made this year’s World Cup one for the history books, the customary 32 teams are still set to compete. Wondering who to place your bets on? Check out this year’s top teams or, just ask your Aunt Carol.