Qatar on track to welcome the world with just 1,000 days to go

The compact nature of the first FIFA World Cup in West Asia will ensure that fans of all 32 teams are always within reach of the eight stunning stadiums, the FIFA Fan Fest, some world-class museums, Qatar’s desert dunes and, most importantly, each other.

While the eagerly awaited tournament might still feel a long way off for fans, 136 out of 900 qualifying matches have already been played, and the tournament infrastructure can be seen rapidly evolving in and around Doha.

Two stadiums are fully operational: Khalifa International and Al Janoub. Three more venues – Education City, Al Rayyan and Al Bayt – will be inaugurated this year, with the remaining three set to be launched well in advance of the tournament.

Brand-new metro lines have also been delivered and successfully transported over 50,000 fans across three games during the FIFA Club World Cup.

New roads and training sites are being completed, the airport expanded and permanent and temporary accommodation will be delivered with the aim of coping with demand while also considering post-event use.

When it comes to tournament preparations, Qatar and FIFA have been scrutinising the lessons learned from the FIFA Club World Cup, held in December last year, and which will return to the country later in 2020.

According to the local authorities, the tournament brought over 50,000 international fans into the country. The event’s official fan zone welcomed 43,000 visitors over the course of the tournament.