The World Cup in Qatar that will be held later this year is unique in many aspects. For example, its most glaring aspect is the fact that it’ll be held in winter. All World Cups so far have been held in summer, but due to the scorching heat in Qatar, FIFA made a decision to push it back to November\December.

And even before that decision, the upcoming global tournament was riddled with controversy. From the way it won the hosting of the event to the thousands of workers that died during the construction of the stadiums, there are many facts casual soccer fans don’t know about Qatar 2022.

You can check the most popular ones below and see why this World Cup will be as ground-breaking as many believe.

Most Expensive World Cup Ever

With a cost of over $200 billion (not a typo) on infrastructure projects, the Qatar World Cup is the most expensive football tournament ever. Qatar is looking to deliver an unforgettable experience by building impressive and advanced football stadiums that will make fans drool.

Still, $200 billion is a lot of money, and many wonder why the country’s billionaires don’t invest that much money in solving world hunger.

First Ever World Cup in November and December

Set in the Middle East, temperatures in Qatar can jump over 50 C in the summer, making it impossible for players to play there without suffering a stroke. That’s why the tournament was moved to the winter, kicking off in November and ending in December.

It will be interesting to see what kind of effect it’ll have on other competitions. Players will be missing for a month, and there are already rumours that superstars won’t be playing to their best before the World Cup begins. It’ll undoubtedly impact the World Cup 2022 betting odds and the odds on other important tournaments such as the Champions League.

A Record Number of Visitors is Expected

The number of visitors in Qatar is set to break all the records so far. The reason is surprising. Being set in the centre of the Middle East, it’s right in the middle of the world and in more or less the same proximity to most nations. This is why the organisers are expecting more than just a crowd, and we fully expect record numbers so far to be broken.

Fewer Stadiums Than Ever

It may be the most expensive World Cup so far, but the costs are mostly due to infrastructure, not stadiums. The Qatar World Cup will be hosted by no more than eight stadiums, which is the lowest number for the tournament in recent memory.

Seven of these are newly constructed, with only one being revamped.

Centrally Air-Conditioned Stadiums

It may be held in winter, but that doesn’t help with Qatar’s scorching temps. While it won’t be 50 C during winter, it will be hot enough for fans that pack a stadium to its limit. The government has thought of everything, including bringing central air-conditioning to all the stadiums. An elegant touch, if you ask us.

It will allow fans to enjoy the games and players not to experience deadly strokes. It’s surely an expensive but much-needed solution.