Soccer has been popularised over the years and has become one of the most famous played sports globally. Sharing are some of the most interesting facts:
- Qatar’s status as the host of the 2022 World Cup gave them qualification for their first-ever World Cup appearance.
- Mexico has qualified without winning the World Cup tournaments more than any other country (16 times).
- Brazil has the distinction of being the only country to play in every World Cup tournament since the competition’s inception. Brazil has won the World Cup 5 times.
- A first-winter World Cup will be held for the first time in 2022 in Qatar. Every other host country has held the tournament in the summer months.
- The first World Cup was held in 1930 and the idea was introduced by Jules Rimet, who desired to create an international event pitting countries against each other on the international stage.
- The 32 countries qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup are Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, The Netherlands, Uruguay, Croatia, Denmark, Mexico, the United States, Senegal, Wales, Poland, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Switzerland, Ghana, Korea Republic, Cameroon, Serbia, Canada, Costa Rica, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ecuador. And hosts Qatar will lead the way in the opening match of the tournament.
Why this World Cup is Controversial.
Starting with the selection as host nation, Qatar raised eyebrows as there are concerns about human rights abuses in building the infrastructure to host the World Cup. Also, Qatar is not a soccer powerhouse having never fielded a World Cup team in the 21 previous tournaments. Another issue is the climate, typically the World Cup is played in the summer however, Qatar, being a desert nation, has an average high temperature of a humid 108 degrees Fahrenheit in July. As a result, FIFA moved the tournament schedule to the late fall when the average high in Qatar is 85 degrees.
Relevant Links:
https://www.firstmats.co.uk/blogs/buying-guides/qatar-2022-world-cup-fun-facts-and-statistics