25 February 2020 marks the 1,000-day countdown to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
In two years, eight months and five days or – if you prefer – just under 33 months, the first tournament in the Middle East and Arab world will be under way.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) – the body responsible for delivering the infrastructure and legacy for the tournament – has been busy preparing for football’s biggest and most prestigious event since the moment Qatar won the hosting rights on 2 December 2010 (exactly 3,372 days ago).
Here we take a look at the key numbers associated with the tournament, which is proposed to kick off at Lusail Stadium on 21 November 2022.
The tournament
The 22nd FIFA World Cup™
Qatar 2022 will be the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup™. Qatar will become the 18th country to host the tournament after Uruguay, Italy, France, Brazil, Switzerland, Sweden, Chile, England, Mexico, Germany, Argentina, Spain, United States, Korea Republic, Japan, South Africa and Russia. This will be the second time the tournament has been held in Asia after Korea Republic and Japan jointly hosted in 2002.
32 teams
This will be the final 32-team FIFA World Cup™ before the tournament expands to 48 teams in 2026. Qatar – the reigning AFC Asian Cup champions – have already qualified as the host nation. The remaining 31 qualifiers will be decided over the next two-and-a-half years.
Team Base Camps
21 Team Base Camps have been approved and included in the first version of the brochure presented to the teams playing the qualifiers. Qatar remains on track to deliver the remaining number of required training sites well ahead of the tournament.
28 days
The tournament will kick off on Monday 21 November. The final will be held on Sunday 18 December, which will be the 15th Qatar National Day.
8 stadiums
Qatar 2022 matches will be played at eight stadiums. Two stadiums have been completed: Khalifa International Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium. Three more – Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium – are set to be inaugurated during 2020. All the stadiums will be delivered well in advance of the tournament.
Multiple matches
Due to the compact nature of Qatar’s tournament, fans may attend more than one match per day during the early stages of the World Cup.
55km
The longest distance between Qatar 2022 stadiums (Al Bayt Stadium to Al Janoub Stadium).
5km
The shortest distance between Qatar 2022 stadiums (Al Rayyan Stadium to Education City Stadium).
1 hour
The expected time that visitors will have to spend travelling between venues during Qatar 2022, allowing fans, media, officials and delegates to watch more than one match in a single day.
170,000 seats
The number of seats Qatar will donate to countries in need of sporting infrastructure after the tournament. This was a key legacy promise during the bid.
1.5 million fans
The number of fans expected to travel to Qatar during the tournament.
$6.5 billion
The total budget for the stadiums and training sites Qatar is constructing.
70,000 rooms
The number of hotel rooms available to fans in 2022.
37 metro stations
There are currently 37 stations on the new Doha Metro, which fans will use to travel between accommodation, stadiums and fan zones during Qatar 2022. The metro was successfully used by fans during the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019™.
QAR 2 ($0.55)
The cost of a single journey on the Doha Metro.
2 minutes
The average journey time between stations on the Doha Metro.
10 million
The number of passengers who have used the Doha Metro since its launch in 2019.
76km
The total length of the Doha Metro.
60,000
The number of fans that used the new Doha Metro to get to and from Khalifa International Stadium across three games during the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019™.
1 airport
The vast majority of fans will enter Qatar via its single international airport – Hamad International Airport. The compact nature of the tournament means fans will stay in one accommodation throughout their visit and never be far away from the action.
53 million
The expected annual capacity for visitors to Hamad International Airport by 2022 once the expansion has been completed. Currently, the airport caters for 30 million passengers per year.
4-hour flight
Qatar is just a four-hour flight from two billion people, and will be a touchpoint from which visiting fans can explore other countries in the region.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC)
600+ people
The number of people – from more than 54 countries – currently working for the SC.
15 SC Ambassadors
Including FIFA World Cup™ winners Xavi Hernandez and Cafu. Our other ambassadors are: Samuel Eto’o, Tim Cahill, Ali Al Habsi, Mobarak Mostafa, Ibrahim Khalfan, Adel Khamis, Ahmed Khalil, Khalid Salman, Mohamed Aboutrika, Younis Mahmood, Bader Al Motawaa, Wael Gomaa and Mohamed Saadon Al Kuwari.
4 legacy programmes
The number of Qatar 2022 legacy programmes: Workers’ Welfare, Generation Amazing, Challenge 22, and Josoor Institute.
24,773 workers
There are currently 24,773 workers engaged on Qatar 2022 infrastructure projects – mainly stadium and training site developments.
305 million
The number of man hours worked to date on Qatar 2022 infrastructure projects.
QAR 110.55 million ($30.4 million)
The amount which will be paid back to workers as part of the SC’s recruitment fees reimbursement scheme. The SC has worked with contractors to ensure that anyone working on a Qatar 2022 project is reimbursed for an illegal recruitment fee they paid prior to moving to Qatar. The payments will be processed irrespective of whether there is a paper trail or not.
106 forums
The number of Workers’ Welfare Forums currently in operation. The forums allow workers to raise issues and grievances via their peers – who are elected by the workforce.
1,100+ accommodation inspections & 1,813+ construction site inspections
The SC and its stakeholders have conducted more than 1,058 accommodation inspections and 1,783 construction site inspections to ensure compliance with the SC’s Workers’ Welfare Standards.
12,021+ worker interviews
The number of workers who have been interviewed in order to ensure compliance with the Workers’ Welfare Standards.
500,000+ beneficiaries
The number of people who have benefited from the Generation Amazing football for development programme – in nine countries – since its launch in 2009.
27 football pitches
Generation Amazing has built 27 community football pitches in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Philippines, Qatar and Oman.
The pitches provide a safe space to learn key life skills through football – the bedrock of the Generation Amazing programme.
1,400+ applications
More than 1,400 applications were submitted during the two cycles of Challenge 22 – the SC’s innovation award which aims to boost entrepreneurs across Qatar and the region.
10 countries
The number of Arab countries Challenge 22 participants come from.
$270,000
The total sum of cash prizes awarded to Challenge 22 winners in both Cycle 1 and 2.
4,300+ beneficiaries
More than 4,300 people have taken part in Josoor Institute courses and programmes since the project was launched. Josoor Institute aims to train and develop sports and event professionals in Qatar and the region.
52 community grants
Since 2017, the SC’s Community Engagement Division has awarded 52 community grants to deserving local projects.
15 workshops
Community Engagement has organised 15 Accessibility Forum workshops with a range of local stakeholders in order to support Qatar 2022’s objective of being the most accessible FIFA World Cup™ in history.
265,000+ registered volunteers
More than 265,000 people have registered an interest in volunteering for the SC. To-date, the SC has engaged with more than 16,000 applicants across a range of projects, including stadium launches and major football matches.
160 members
160 young people joined the SC Youth Panel to participate in a behind-the-scenes look at preparations for Qatar 2022. The programme included stadium visits, meeting key personnel at the SC and taking part in events such as stadium launches.
2,104+ website stories
The number of stories posted on the SC website since its launch.
1.2 million+
The number of followers on the @roadto2022 Facebook account.
302,000+
The number of followers on the @roadto2022 Instagram account.
172,000+
The number of followers on the @roadto2022 Twitter account.
50,000+
The number of followers on the SC’s LinkedIn account.