The countdown to the Qatar 2022 World Cup is on

Al Bidda Tower, where Qatar’s World Cup organisers are housed, sits on central Doha’s Corniche waterfront – part of the city’s shimmering glass-fronted futurescape.

In the building’s lobby is a clock (or at least there was the last time I visited), counting down the number of days until the 2022 World Cup begins. The clock at that time usually showed dates so far into the future that it seemed improbable that it would ever happen.

But this Saturday, if the clock is still there, it will tick over to just 100 days until the Qatar World Cup kicks off.

Finally, the most controversial event in the tournament’s history is really upon us. Many claimed it would never happen, but as sure as England being knocked out, it really will.

After 12 years of claims about corruption, labour rights, workers’ deaths, LGBT+ issues, moving the World Cup to November and December for the first time, talks of a boycott, diplomatic crises and the phenomenal costs surrounding what could also be the most expensive tournament in sporting history, the actual football is about to start.

Which all means, no doubt, that whatever the level of debate has been so far, it will become even more intensified over the next 100 days. Brace yourselves.

But aside from all the familiar questions and claims about the Qatar World Cup, it also means that there will finally be an answer to how pretty much a one city state is going to be able to cope with hosting such a major sporting event.

Everything will be built beautifully and the country will no doubt impress many first-time visitors. But what cannot be answered until that moment is how a small country of around 2.7 million people is going to function when another 1.5 million people descend upon it en masse, most of those in Doha.

Qatar has made much of its compactness to host the event, the longest distance between any of the 8 stadiums is around 42 miles.

Most of the debate surrounding Qatar has been on far more profound matters but with kick-off creeping upon us, how the Gulf state can deal with such a transformation for almost four weeks is going to be key to how the first tournament in the Middle East will ultimately be judged.

We have around 100 days until we find out.

Yours,

David Harding

International editor