• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Football Fans Can't Believe The Actual Size Of World Cup Host Qatar

Home> Sport

Updated 09:38 2 Apr 2022 GMT+1Published 09:36 2 Apr 2022 GMT+1

Football Fans Can't Believe The Actual Size Of World Cup Host Qatar

The Middle-Eastern nation is home to just 2.8 million people, with all stadiums being within a 40-mile radius

Tom Fenton

Tom Fenton

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: World Cup, Sport, Football

Tom Fenton
Tom Fenton

Advert

Advert

Advert

As football fans everywhere get ready for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, some on social media are just coming to terms with the size of the Middle Eastern nation.

Set to host the tournament in November, Qatar is spread across just 11,437 square kilometres of land – which makes it roughly the same size as Yorkshire.

To further demonstrate the scale, with just over 2.8 million people it has a population akin to that of Merseyside, which is virtually unheard of for a World Cup host in the modern era.

Some fans who haven't been paying attention have therefore been shocked to discover this reality.


Advert

As well as the obvious question marks over human rights abuses, critics also point to issues with the oil state's overall infrastructure.

As one Twitter user observes, there are currently only 90,000 hotel rooms in the whole of Qatar, with a stay in Saudi Arabia difficult due to strained political relations that make travel across the border troublesome.

Infrastructure on the whole has been called into question, with Independent journalist Miguel Delaney labelling Qatar as 'Doha super-city'.

Qatar is the smallest nation to ever host a FIFA World Cup, with only Uruguay running them close with a population of 3.5 million people.


The 2022 World Cup gets underway on 21 November, with the final to be played just before Christmas on 18 December.

Advert

Gareth Southgate's England will be aiming to go one better after reaching the final of last year's European Championships.

The Three Lions were beaten on penalties by Italy, but will attempt to win a first World Cup since 1966 later this year, and a first-ever tournament on foreign soil.

Southgate has had to field several questions of late regarding Qatar's human rights record.

Asked whether England would boycott this year's World Cup due to such concerns, the former Aston Villa player responded: "I don't know what that achieves – it would be a big story but the tournament would go ahead."

"It's possible, but it's not a decision that the players or myself would make."

Advert

According to The Guardian, more than 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since it was announced as the host nation 10 years ago, with 37 deaths directly linked to the construction of stadiums for the tournament.

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
19 hours ago
5 days ago
6 days ago
  • F1
    3 hours ago

    Terrifying moment F1 driver ‘almost kills’ marshals as they run across track

    The incident occurred at yesterday's Grand Prix in Mexico City

    News
  • Alex Slitz/Getty Images
    19 hours ago

    Basketball star Kevin Durant gets insane return after finding Bitcoin wallet from over a decade ago

    Kevin Durant's business partner said 'a user error' stopped him getting access to his Bitcoin wallet

    News
  • Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images
    5 days ago

    Ricky Hatton’s brother speaks out about boxing legend's death for the first time in emotional interview

    Matthew Hatton described his late brother as his 'best friend'

    News
  • Charlotte Chess Center
    6 days ago

    How Daniel Naroditsky became chess grandmaster age 18 as child prodigy dies age 29

    Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, known as Danya by his social media followers, has died at the age of 29

    News
  • Denmark's football kit manufacturer to hide logo during Qatar World Cup
  • Three Lions Could Be Replaced At Qatar World Cup
  • Donald Trump slammed for 'absurd' interview after bizarrely gatecrashing Chelsea's Club World Cup trophy lift
  • England's World Cup Group Has Been Drawn In Qatar