Seven days have passed since the end of the World Cup in Qatar, according to many, one of the most spectacular in the history of the biggest football competition.
And while impressions, as usual, are different, and they are not discussed, because everyone can judge based on their own, individual perception, some exact data remain after the first World Cup in the Middle East. Which are also not discussed...
With 172 goals in 64 games (2,68 per match), this WC was the most efficient in history, and with slightly more than 3,4 million spectators in the stadiums, it was the third most watched tournament since 1930.
It was played in eight magnificent stadiums, the new ones, each of which had its own, very interesting story. Of the more than 200 billion euros that cost the organization of the most expensive World Cup in history, Qatar invested "only" 6,5 billion in stadium infrastructure. It is, of course, still an incredible sum...
Seven new ones were built and one facility was completely renovated, for the total atmosphere of football players, fans and everyone who in any way had the opportunity to watch World Cup matches, and not only live...
When they built the stadiums, the organizers also took care of their sustainability - they wanted, at any cost, that the magnificent facilities avoid the fate of "white elephants" - stadiums where no one plays, where no one comes and whose maintenance too expensive - unsustainable. That's why there was a clear plan for each of the built arenas - what to do after the World Cup.
The only stadium that existed in Qatar even before the World Cup, but was completely renovated, was the lovely "Kalifa International" - and it is the only one that will remain in its current form after the World Cup. On it, Croatia defeated Morocco in the match for bronze...
All other stadiums will either be repurposed or reduce their capacity, and some will disappear completely. The Asian Cup will be played there next year, and after that most of the stadiums will no longer play football at all.
Qatar boasts that all stadiums are built from materials that can be recycled and used to build other buildings. Such is the case with Lusail, the largest and most expensive stadium.
The spectacular arena, which has the shape of a hand-made Arab bowl, will become a residential and business complex after the Asian Cup, which will house a shopping center, a school, a hospital and many other facilities, and the top row of stands will turn into terraces. Football will still be played, but at a facility with a capacity of 20 seats, instead of the current 90.
The Al Bayt Arena in Al Kor, in the north of Qatar, where France beat England and Morocco to reach the World Cup final, will no longer be used for football purposes.
The attractive roof, reminiscent of the traditional tent of Qatari nomads, will be completely removed, and the stadium will be converted into a sports medicine hospital, a five-star hotel and, of course, a shopping mall.
The unusual stadium "974", which was built from as many shipping containers - as a tribute to overseas trade, one of the most beautiful stories of the world championship, will be completely unfolded.
As football was no longer played in the world's first and only collapsible stadium after the round of 2030, the organizers immediately started the "action" of collapsing. The stadium, in parts, of course by ship, will be moved to Uruguay, where it will be reassembled and will serve as one of the candidates for the XNUMX World Cup, which Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay want to organize.
The capacity of the "Ahmad Bin Ali" Stadium, the so-called "desert arena", will be halved - from 40 to 20 seats and handed over to Al Rayan club, one of the most famous in the Qatari Stars League.
A similar fate will be experienced by "Al Janub", the stadium with the most beautiful roof, which will be handed over to Al Vakra, just like "Al Tumama" (Arabic cap), in front of whose halved auditorium, among others, Al Ahli, led by our coach Nebojša Jovović and football players, will play Nikola-Điđ Vukčevića.
The average viewership of the Qatari Stars League is slightly higher than a thousand spectators per match, it remains to be seen whether the World Cup will popularize football at least a little.
And the capacity of "Education City" will be reduced (from 40 to 20 thousand) and that arena will be handed over to the Qatar National University. It will host university sports competitions as well as other cultural and musical events.
"Kalifa International" is the only one, therefore, that continues to breathe with full worldly sails. The stadium with a capacity of 45 seats will continue to host national team matches and athletics meetings.
Bonus video:
