Newly built world cups
After the disappointment at England’s abject failure to host the 2018 World Cup, perhaps the biggest surprise was the identity of the eventual winners. Both the Russian and Qatari bids were rated ‘high risk’ but were chosen to host the 2018 and 2022 competitions.
The reason for the awards is apparently that FIFA is interested in developing football in new areas. The World Cup finals have never been held in Russia, Eastern Europe or the Middle East, but there are fears that the venues could cause problems. Both countries have major construction projects to undertake, and other factors threaten problems.
Russia is seen as the largest emerging soccer market in Europe, but the country’s sheer size is seen as a potential problem. Although the World Cup Finals are limited to the European part of Russia, they are still held in 13 cities with 1,550 miles between Ekaterinberg in the east and Kaliningrad in the west.
To alleviate perceived problems, the government has committed to eliminating the need for travel visas for ticket holders and providing free travel between host cities. All locations are reportedly no more than a two-hour flight from Moscow.
Russia 2018 as a legacy project …
One consequence of Russia’s size is that its transportation infrastructure is underdeveloped. To prepare for the event, it is estimated that it will need to build 4,791 miles of roads and 1,257 miles of railroad tracks to provide a high-speed network. This will cost more than £ 22bn of the total planned price of £ 31.6bn.
Added to the construction of railways and roads will be the construction of much-needed hotel accommodation and the improvement of airports. There is also the small matter of providing 16 stadiums for the event, three of which will be upgraded and the rest will be built from scratch at a cost of £ 2.4 billion, the largest of all European bidders. Currently, the country does not have a stadium with the required minimum capacity of 80,000 for the final. However, Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium is capped at 78,000 which will be expanded to 89,000 seats.
The goal is to have five stadiums ready by 2013 and the rest available long before the final. Since the award was recently awarded, little progress has been made so far, but officials are confident they have plans in place. However, preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics, to be held in the Russian city of Sochi, do not inspire confidence.
Sochi will also be a host city in 2018, but progress there has been mired in controversy. There are allegations of corruption, involvement of the mafia and anarchy in general. Apparently, the situation led one of the president’s aides to ask for a World Cup “without bribes.” However, the hope is that Russia will be left with a legacy of improved transportation infrastructure and new sports stadiums. Its exposure to visiting fans and the world’s media is also expected to make it a more popular tourist destination.
Qatar: Is small beautiful? …
The 2022 host country, Qatar, also has challenges due to its size. However, in this case it is at the opposite end of the scale, being a small country with a population of 1.6 million. In fact, it is the smallest country to host the World Cup Finals and its size is presented as an advantage due to the small distances between the venues.
The Gulf State is the second richest country in the world in terms of per capita gross domestic product and plans to spend $ 100 billion over the next five years on infrastructure projects. These were apparently planned before the award and will improve road and rail networks, as well as airports and seaports.
Qatar will use twelve stadiums for the event, build five and improve others. The new stadiums have been designed primarily by German architect Albert Speer & Partners. Some have temporary seats that will be dismantled after the World Cup and donated to other countries. Al-Khor Stadium will have 19,830 temporary seats among its capacity of 45,330, while Al-Wakrah Stadium’s 45,120 seats will be reduced by 25,500 once the event ends.
The country’s biggest challenge is the fierce summer heat, with daytime temperatures reaching 50 ° C. Counter this with cooling technology that will ensure temperatures do not exceed 27 ° C for players and spectators. The cooling system is provided by Arup Associates and will use solar energy for carbon neutral operation.
The main venue, the Lusail Iconic Stadium in the capital Doha, will have a capacity for 86,000 people. Designed by Foster + Partners, it has a saddle-shaped roof with a retractable canopy. Solar energy from the parking canopies will power the stadium, including air conditioning, and provide power for the surrounding area at other times. A new subway line and direct roads connect the stadium to the center of Doha.
Last minute chaos surrounded the organization of the Doha Asian Games in 2006. However, it is anticipated that it will host the 2011 Asian Cup and has plenty of time to prepare for 2022. For Europe, FIFA’s determination to carry the finals into uncharted territory and having hosted the finals in 1990, 1998 and 2006, it could be some time before the World Cup returns to the continent.