2022 World Cup in Qatar | KNVB - culturehubmagazine.co.uk

2022 World Cup in Qatar | KNVB

Posted On: June 6, 2023

The 22nd edition of the FIFA Men’s World Cup will take place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December. 32 countries participated in this World Cup and a total of 64 matches were played. The Netherlands is participating in the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Then the Dutch national team in Brazil is in third place.

Football is played in eight stadiums:

Khalifa International Stadium (40,000 seats)
Al Janoub Stadium (40,000 seats)
Education City Stadium (40,000 seats)
Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (40,000 seats)
Al Thumama Stadium (40,000 seats)
Al Bayt Stadium (60,000 seats)
Stadium 974 (40,000 seats)
Lusail Stadium (80,000 seats – final venue)

Qatar is as large as the provinces of Noord-Brabant, Limburg and Gelderland combined. Therefore, it is a very compact World Cup: the distance between the two stadiums is a maximum of 75 km and a minimum of 5 km.

group A

The Netherlands will start the World Cup in group A and will play Senegal (Al Thumama) on November 21, against Ecuador (Khalifa International) on November 25 and against Qatar (Al Bayt) on November 29. In each group match, the Dutch national team receives support from around 3,000 Orange fans.

FIFA and Qatar host several fan zones. The largest is located in Al Bidda Park in the capital city of Doha. The famous Corniche promenade will be a meeting center for fans along the 7 km long.

National team coach Louis van Gaal was in action with the Orange in group A.

Security

Safety is an important aspect of the World Cup for Qatar. Foreign experts have been called in for crowd control. Previous experience was also gained during the Arab Cup (1998 and 2021) and other international sporting events. The organizing committee said that when there is a potential problem, the organizers mainly focus on de-escalation and communication.

The aim of this organization is to organize events that are sustainable and preferably CO2 neutral. This includes using green energy, recycling waste, and conserving water. The building was designed to have a minimal impact on the environment and the cohesiveness of the World Cup combined with an extensive public transport network further contributes to achieving that goal. Five stadiums – and the airport – can be reached by metro and another three by metro and shuttle buses. On matchdays, public transport is free for those with match tickets.

About Qatar

Qatar is located in the Persian Gulf and is only bordered by Saudi Arabia. The country is a monarchy and has about 2.5 million inhabitants. In November and December 18 to 24 degrees in Qatar. During the World Cup, it is two hours later than in the Netherlands.

Alcohol is not part of Qatari social life, but hospitality is. Therefore, one can drink alcohol in the fan zone and in many hotels and restaurants. It’s not allowed beyond that.

Qatar is a conservative country. Everyone is welcome, but visitors are expected to respect local culture. For example, physical intimacy in public is not respected and in government buildings and places of worship one has to cover one’s shoulders and knees.

Qatar is ‘sports at heart’ and has previously hosted the World Handball Championships, World Cycling Championships, World Gymnastics Championships, World Championships in Athletics, World Amateur Boxing Championships and World Weightlifting Championships. Important international tournaments and competitions take place every year for golf, tennis, motor sports and motorsport (Formula 1). The upcoming World Swimming Championships and World Judo World Championships will also be held in Qatar.

Human rights
Read here about all the actions of the KNVB aimed at human rights in Qatar.