A tournament to outspend them all

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Issued on: 17/11/2022 – 22:03

The 2022 World Cup will be the most compact in history, staged in the smallest-ever host country. But by most other measures, Qatar’s football extravaganza will outstrip all previous World Cups. FRANCE 24 takes a look at a tournament unlike any other, in 10 key figures.

At 220 billion euros, according to finance consultancy firm Front Office Sport, the 2022 World Cup will have cost five times more than the last seven tournaments put together. The total expenditure shatters the record previously held by Brazil’s 2014 World Cup, which cost 15 million euros.

The tiny emirate built six brand-new stadiums, each with ultra-modern air-conditioning systems to shelter fans and players from the heat. The 60,000-seater Al Bayt stadium alone will have cost 3 billion euros, more than three times the cost of the Stade de France near Paris, built for the 1998 World Cup.

The Lusail Stadium, an 80,000-capacity venue on the outskirts of Qatar's capital Doha, will host the FIFA World Cup final in December 2022. — The Lusail Stadium, an 80,000-capacity venue on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha, will host the FIFA World Cup final in December 2022. © Mustafa Abumunes, AFP

In addition to the stadiums, Qatar embarked on massive infrastructure projects, building an airport, three subway lines and a brand-new city, Lusai, complete with hotels, golf courses and a luxury marina. These massive infrastructure projects are excluded from the emirate’s own assessment of the tournament’s overall cost.