2022 FIFA World Cup: United States among top ticket sales leaders, so here's what to expect out of Qatar
What's the real situation in Doha seven months before the kick off the 2022 World Cup

We're all counting down until Monday, Nov. 21 when the 2022 FIFA World Cup begins. It's a moment that's years in the making for those in Doha, Qatar, after winning the bid back in 2010. And it's a moment that will have to wait a little longer as the World Cup could not be played in the extreme summer heat and as a result it will take place in a reduced span of 28 days. In the meantime, you can follow live updates from the World Cup draw here.
In seven months, the new modern City Center with towers and skyscrapers and the old market of Souq Waqif will be full of people from everywhere across the globe. Fans, players, families and journalists will make Doha the center of the world until Dec. 18 when the final will be played at the brand new Lusail International Stadium.
FIFA on Wednesday revealed its results from the first sales phase, with over 800,000 tickets purchased. Interestingly enough, these tickets were mostly bought by fans from outside of Europe. In the top 10, we only find two European countries, Germany and England, and that's probably because of the fact this tournament will take place in the winter. We also see United States, Qatar, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil, Argentina and Saudi Arabia in the top 10.
Expect around one million people coming to Doha between November and December, which could be a cause for concern in terms of accommodations and hotels. Bear in mind that right now Doha has 2.3 million citizens (the whole country 2.7 million) and having one more million of people at the same time is one of the main topics that are currently being discussed by the authorities. Hotels might not be enough to host all these fans, FIFA workers, journalists and athletes coming in Doha. For those reasons, there are some alternatives that are being considered. Many locals will rent their houses during the World Cup and some of them are already considering leaving the city for the whole month. Qatar will host soccer fans on cruise ships as well that will help hotels to avoid over-bookings during the World Cup.
All in all, Doha is a relatively "new" city that just recently saw offices, buildings, skyscrapers built in preparation for its hosting duties. Not everything is ready to roll out right now, with the metro station almost ready to be finalized as it will connect Doha and the fans with the stadiums around the city. There were a lot of discussions in the past about the air conditioning systems inside the facilities but this was a topic before the World Cup was moved to November and December when the temperature will be good enough for players to play. The average lows are 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) and the average highs sit at around 28 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
The AC system was already tested in the last months in case of necessity but shouldn't be used during the World Cup later this year. Additionally, the Stadium 974 will be dismantled and not run the risk of being a white elephant after the World Cup. For the first time in history one of the stadiums will be fully dismantled and after the competition its components, such as seats and roof, will be used in other sports buildings outside Qatar. After dismantling, the area of the stadium will be cleaned and turned into a green area for the city.
Lastly, security in Doha right now is also an area of concern. Qatar is widely considered as a safe place to be, but there are concerns now heading to a big tournament such as the World Cup with so many tourists and fans arriving all at the same time. The Turkish government, which is extremely close to the Qatar authorities, will send around 3,000 security forces for the World Cup. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu affirmed last January that "a total of 3,250 of our personnel will work temporarily in Qatar in November and December for 45 days for the World Cup. At this event, which over a million fans from across the world are expected to attend, our personnel will ensure security." He also added that Turkey trained 677 Qatari security personnel as well in 38 different professional areas of security.
















