The FIFA World Cup will played in the heat of the Middle East for the first time in 2022.
Qatar won the hosting rights for the tournament with their selection forcing the timing of the competition to be pushed back to November and December.
World Cups are generally held in the middle of the year but Qatar’s extreme heat has forced FIFA into a change of dates.
The Sporting News takes a look at just how hot it will get during the tournament.
How hot is it in Qatar?
Qatar is considered one of the hottest countries in the world.
Yearly average temperatures range from 14 to 41°C (57-105°F) but in most months temperatures can easily exceed 30°C (86°F).
The hottest day ever in Qatar was record in July 2010 when temperatures peaked at 50.4°C (122.7°F).
In June 2022, a year-high temperature of 48°C (118°F) was recorded.
MORE: Complete 2022 World Cup schedule | Which team have qualified for Qatar?
What will the highest temperatures be during the 2022 World Cup?
The 2022 World Cup starts on November 20 in Qatar when temperatures generally start falling heading into winter.
Early group games will likely be the hottest with highs of 26-28°C (78-82°F) possible.
Two group games each day of the tournament will be played at 13:00 and 16:00 (local time) and this is when the highest temperatures of the World Cup will be encountered.
Knockout matches will then be played exclusively in the evening to further mitigate the heat in Qatar.
The knockout rounds also won’t start until December which is officially the start of winter in Qatar with average daily temperatures dropping to between 19-26°C (66-78°F).
Following in the footsteps of a legend 🏆
🇫🇷 @KMbappe reminded fans of another @equipedefrance great when he held the #FIFAWorldCup trophy in 2018… pic.twitter.com/PrHMMw3UeZ
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) September 7, 2022
Are the stadiums in Qatar air-conditioned?
One of the major adaptations that Qatari officials have had to make is to ensure that all eight stadiums involved in the competition will be air-conditioned.
Despite concerns over the ability of coolant machines to substantially bring down the temperature in open-air stadiums, each venue has been equipped with specially designed cooling units.
The technology has been developed along with Qatar University, using solar energy to power fans that pull in outside air and cool it.
Dr Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Qatar University and nicknamed “Dr Cool”, has spearheaded the project and will be part of the efforts to ensure a full roll out at all eight venues in time for the opening game.
In an interview with FIFA.com, Dr Saul revealed: “We are not just cooling the air, we’re cleaning it.
“We’re purifying the air for spectators. For example, people who have allergies won’t have problems inside our stadiums as we have the cleanest and purest air in there is.
“Pre-cooled air comes in through grills built into the stands and large nozzles alongside the pitch. Using the air circulation technique, cooled air is then drawn back, re-cooled, filtered and pushed out where it is needed.”
Temperatures inside Qatar’s air-conditioned stadiums are expected to hover around 21°C (70°F).
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