Female referees and 26-man teams were among the first to arrive in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup taking place that year.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is fast approaching. The opening match takes place on November 20 of next year, which will mark almost 12 years since the day Qatar was awarded hosting rights for the tournament.
More than one million visitors are expected to attend the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, which will take place in the first country in the Middle East to host football’s biggest tournament.
At this year’s World Cup, there have been a few firsts:
Offside Technology
The top governing body for football, FIFA, announced in July that they’d use an automated offside system during the World Cup to help make fast and accurate offside calls.
What does a player being in an offside position even mean? It’s simple. A player is considered offside if they are not within the stated lines and closer to the opponent’s goal line than the ball and the second-last person on the field.
Although the technology is still new and being developed, it has helped kids improve their skills, lower attrition rates, increase motivation and excitement, and boost coaches’ confidence and understanding of the game.
Substitutions
This World Cup has 16 teams, unlike the previous World Cup in Russia, with only 12 teams.
The International Football Association Board introduced the COVID-19 regulation after conducting a global analysis of its negative effects on football. This regulation was created in response to stakeholder feedback and protects better players, coaches, and the beautiful game itself.
The game is stopped after the first hour and 40 minutes of play. One additional player will be allowed to enter the pitch for each extra 20 minutes of play.
La Liga and Major League Soccer have switched to broadcasting 2-weekly games over the past two years.
November Kickoff
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is a year’s worth of soccer festivities. It will take place during November and December.
The World Cup is a yearly event that some might think is held every year in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. This year, the change to the time it’s winter for Qatar to avoid high temperatures was made.
Throughout the tournament, temperatures will range from 14C to 31C (57F to 88F).
Expanded Squad Lists
The FIFA World Cup will have a different format starting in Russia next month. This includes the number of players allowed in each national squad to their names, three more than what was allowed at the World Cup in Russia.
As the “UNCUP is being scheduled for early November, disrupting plans of the COVID-19 pandemic,” FIFA decided to reschedule the final.
Sometimes, though, things don’t go as planned. After the World Cup, a hastily-assembled preliminary squad list was announced. A final list of 55 players was later released.
Female Referees
The first time the World Cup has had female referees, three were chosen for Qatar 2022.
Stephanie Frappart, Yoshimi Yamashita, and Salima Mukansanga have all previously officiated at a tournament for men. These officials include the UEFA Super Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations, and the NBA games.
Frappart said, “It’s a strong sign from FIFA and the authorities that they’ve brought in female referees” in a country where previously women were absent. She might not be a feminist spokesperson, but if this can make things happen to help increase women’s rightsÂ
Twenty-four women will be serving as assistant referees. They’ll consist of three other women, and everyone will serve for two games.
Most ‘compact’ World Cup
Qatar will become the smallest country to host a FIFA World Cup match in 2022. As of 2018, they have only 11,500 sq km (4,440 sq miles) and 2.9 million people. This World Cup will take place in the summer of 2022
All eight stadiums are within a 50km radius of Doha’s capital. Despite the large number of games playing in the later stages, there usually will be just four games per day.
Qatar and FIFA claim that the compact nature of the tournament will allow people to watch multiple matches a day, which will, in turn, ensure safety for everyone. Critics have argued, however, that this influx of more than 1.2 million people could lead to issues with transportation and crowd control.
In Doha, finding four matches in a day can be challenging for people who go out on the weekends. However, it’s important to remember that traffic congestion is inevitable.
The World Cup has ended, but the foreseeable closing of Qatar’s schools won’t impact that country’s education system.
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