Work to be completed well before World Cup: organisers

Doha (AFP) – Building work in Qatar’s capital Doha, host of the 2022 World Cup, will be completed “well before the tournament”, the event’s CEO promised qualifying teams on Monday.

Referring to the many construction sites visible in the city at the opening of a two-day seminar bringing together representatives of the 32 qualifying nations, Nasser al-Khater promised to “put the final touches in place long before the tournament”.

With less than 140 days until the opening of an event Qatar wants to be “amazing”, Khater pledged to ensure “all the conditions are optimum for excellent football come the 2022 World Cup”.

The seminar brings together the teams to present “updates on operational matters… and to give you the chance to raise any questions or issues that you have with all the experts across the respective areas of FIFA,” Gianni Infantino, the head of world football’s governing body, told delegates by video conference.

Held at Doha’s St. Regis Hotel, the seminar will brief team staff on logistics, security, playing conditions and refereeing.

Representatives also have the opportunity to observe the preparation of stadiums and visit hotels and training grounds ahead of the tournament’s opening match on 21 November.

A number of qualifying teams have already announced their base camps for the World Cup.

On the pitch, FIFA last week approved use of “semi-automatic offside” during the competition, a tool intended to speed up and make refereeing decisions more reliable.

The organisation also raised the maximum number of players for each country from 23 to 26.