World Cup 2022

QATAR have spent an eye-watering £200billion on hosting this year’s World Cup… nearly 20 times what Russia splashed out on the 2018 edition.The controversial tournament is set to kick off on November 20 amid a backdrop of infrastructure issues – despite the host’s lavish spending.

Qatar have developed eight stadiums to host matches, including the 80,000-seater Lusail StadiumCredit: Reuters
Stars are set to battle it out for the World Cup trophy this winterCredit: AP:Associated Press
Qatar’s £200bn (£185bn)spend dwarfs the £11.6bn (£10.7bn)that Russia put into hosting the most recent World Cup.
The previous highest expenditure was the £15bn (13.8bn) spent by Brazil in 2014, while South Africa forked out £3.6bn (£3.3bn) four years earlier.
Germany’s 2006 World Cup cost £4.3bn (£4bn) while Korea and Japan spent £7bn (£6.5bn) between them in 2002.
France 1998 came at a cost of £2.3bn (£2.1bn) and the US spent half a billion dollars (£460k) on their 1994 tournament.
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England fans have complained of a lack of accommodation and not without justification.
As of March this year there were only 30,000 hotel rooms in Qatar… even though more than one million fans are expected to visit during the tournament.
Even more frustratingly for supporters, 80 per cent of these rooms have been booked by Fifa to house teams, sponsors and their own bigwigs.
Qatar have built seven brand new, state of the art arenas for the tournament, while also modernising the older Khalifa International Stadium.
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Fans flocking to these new stadia, however, might not even spend a full 24 hours in Qatar.
Neighbours Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Kuwait are expecting fans to head their way in order to find more affordable accommodation.
Supporters will be able to ride one of 50 daily shuttle planes from Dubai to Doha – with UAE officials believing that they can attract around one million visitors during their neighbours’ tournament.
Of Qatar’s enormous $200bn figure – only $6.5bn (£6bn) is claimed to have been spent on stadia, team bases and facilities for fans.
Attempting to explain where the rest of the money has gone, Communications Executive Director for the tournament Fatma Al Nuaimi explained: “Meanwhile, the World Cup is a part of the Qatar National Vision 2030, a broader government strategy promoting the intensive development of urban and national facilities and industry, in addition to education and healthcare systems.
“The $200bn figure, often associated with the World Cup, is actually part of this ambitious strategy for Qatar’s national development and modernisation.
“Most of these large-scale infrastructure projects, which will be used by teams and fans in 2022, such as new roads, a subway, an airport, hotels and other tourist facilities were planned even before we obtained the right to host the World Cup.
We are sure that everyone who visits Qatar in 2022 will be delightedFatma Al Nuaimi
“These projects would have been implemented anyway, however, the football championship has certainly accelerated all these developments so that the country can host the 1.5m fans that we expect in 2022.”
She then bullishly added: “We are sure that everyone who visits Qatar in 2022 will be delighted.
“Our new facilities and services will provide an excellent experience for teams and fans as well as a fundamental legacy for Qatar after 2022.”
The final is set to take place in Lusail, a former village around 15 miles north of Doha.
A huge expense for Qatar has been building Lusail up into a city consisting of 19 districts, but is very much still a work in progress.
Another big chunk of Qatar’s budget, in line with their 2030 project, has gone on building airports and a huge underground transport network.
The Doha Metro was opened in May 2019, having cost a reported $36bn (£33.2bn) to build.
Hamad International Airport opened for business in 2014 and is reported to have cost a further $16bn (14.8bn) to develop.
Fans will flock to Ahmad Bin Ali stadium in Ar-RayyanCredit: AFP
Qatar has been developing the modern city of LusailCredit: AFP
Fans will use Doha’s new $36bn metro systemCredit: AFP More

THE rallying cry from Gareth Southgate to the fans before kick-off included phrases such as “positive energy” and “togetherness”.And if the England boss was not aware already, the key to maintain that is simple: score goals.
Gareth Southgate had Wembley roaring after England turned around a 2-0 deficit to draw 3-3 with GermanyCredit: Getty
Harry Maguire was booed by fans ahead of kick-off and later conceded a penaltyCredit: Reuters
At 2-0 down after 67 minutes, Wembley’s faithful were preparing to sharpen their knives and produce a full-time audible assault on Southgate yet to be heard during his reign.
Harry Maguire was also looking resigned to his post-match fate – his woeful tackle on Jamal Musiala to give away a penalty brought back his persistent boo-boys.
This is an atmosphere that had boiled over in a flash despite a much-improved first half that saw the home crowd right behind the team and Southgate.
Yet as the Three Lions’ all-too-familiar frailties showed face once more after the break, ammunition was provided for the nay-sayers and pre-World Cup grumblers at Wembley.
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And they did not hold back. Despite hearing his ‘Tequila’ anthem earlier in the game, a confidence-shot Maguire was being jeered with every touch of the ball having been booed on THREE separate occasions in the warm-up.
It must be said, it could have been far worse. The vast majority of the home support did their best to stick behind their hard-to-predict national team.
And they were rewarded with a fine comeback no one saw coming, and went on to blow the proverbial roof off of Wembley stadium after Harry Kane’s penalty.
At times, it even felt like it did last summer with that glorious run to the Euros final, yet they aren’t yet singing ‘Southgate You’re The One’ at every turn like they used to. Not yet.
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That was influenced massively by Nick Pope’s howler to gift the Germans a late, bubble-bursting equaliser that led to a full-time smattering of applause.
Heading into Qatar without a win in six competitive matches, Southgate knows he is now a World Cup knock-out exit away from the sort of backlash he has never felt before in this hot seat.
Wembley did its best to stir up the pre-match emotions. Old-school tunes from ‘World In Motion’ to ‘Football’s Coming Home’ were belted out.
There were pieces of card on seats with the words “Raise the Flag” to create a pre-match mosaic, and encouraged the crowd to sing God Save The King.
The programme front cover had the late Queen handing Sir Bobby Moore the Jules Rimet trophy in 1966.
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Southgate also had the feel-good vibes, getting high-fives from kids in the tunnel as he and the players arrived at the stadium.
Yet those hand gestures will become far more visceral if his team continue on this worrying run of form. More

SO it turns out that England can still score after all – but they sure as hell can toss them away too. During a six-goal second half of merry bedlam, Gareth Southgate was facing the nightmare scenario of his firm favourite Harry Maguire gifting victory to Germany. 
Gareth Southgate suffered another rollercoaster night as England took on GermanyCredit: Reuters
Harry Kane’s penalty looked to have earned a comeback win for the Three LionsCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Kai Havertz’s second snatched a draw for Germany after a Nick Pope earrorCredit: Rex
Then after an extraordinary England comeback, which saw Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and Harry Kane all score within 12 minutes, an almighty howler from keeper Nick Pope extended his side’s winless run to six matches. 
So how are you feeling about England’s World Cup prospects after that little lot?  
England hadn’t scored in open play for 521 minutes until that late flood of goals, including a pearler from Mount.
But that came after Maguire – the man Southgate staked his reputation upon, despite a huge public outcry – had lost possession, was nutmegged and conceded a penalty in a sequence of slow-motion slapstick which handed Germany their opener.  
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Contrary to popular belief, though, Southgate doesn’t always stay stubbornly loyal to his supposed favourites. 
Mount had been labelled his ‘teacher’s pet’ for a long stretch but had been left on the bench for England’s last two fixtures – seemingly out of Southgate’s likely starting line-up in Qatar.  
Yet the Chelsea man’s stunning England  equaliser saved Southgate’s bacon before Kane’s penalty gave them a late lead. 
Even then, though, there was an even later twist as Pope spilled a routine shot from Serge Gnabry to gift Kai Havertz his second of the night and leave England ultimately frustrated.  
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Basically we came into this game worrying about England’s lack of goals and ended it worrying about their shoddy defence. 
Still, ater a largely dismal Nations League campaign, at least this second half provided rollicking entertainment.
Southgate had suggested before this double-header that he would limit experimentation and rotation and he was good to his world. 
He stuck with his 5-2-3 formation and made just two changes from Friday’s defeat in Italy – John Stones returning from a ban in place of Kyle Walker and Luke Shaw replacing Bukayo Saka at left wing-back. 
Jordan Pickford will return from injury before the World Cup but this starting line-up might look very similar to the one which faces Iran in the tournament opener. 
Pope – clearly Southgate’s No 2 ahead of Aaron Ramsdale – is notoriously dodgy with the ball at his feet. 
And early on he had an attempted clearance charged down by Jamal Musiala, allowing Ilkay Gundogan a sight on goal – the Manchester City man shooting narrowly over. 
England weirdly decked out in an illuminous orange kit, as if they were heading for a night shift on the roads, did show some early shows of intent from England – Phil Foden showing skill, Stones bringing the ball out of defence in Barnsley Beckenbauer mode. 
But then Stones and Pope got in a tangle, faffing around in the box, and midway through the first half a Wembley full house had descended into near-silence. 
John Stones was forced off for England through injuryCredit: AP
Mason Mount fired England level moments after coming off the benchCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
It was a far cry from the raucous Sweet Caroline day here last summer when the Germans were banished from the Euros.  
Suddenly, though, England woke up – for the first time, pretty much, since March.  
Sterling darted on to an excellent through-ball from Shaw, turned Nico Schlotterbeck inside out but saw his shot well saved by the advancing Marc-Andre ter Stegen. 
Foden then duffed a centre when Kane was begging for it six yards out – and the England skipper soon volleyed wide across goal. 
Stones was forced to limp off on 37 minutes with what looked like a hamstring problem, Walker coming on as Southgate stuck with the tried-and-tested. 
Sterling had a sharp exchange of passes with Kane but shot straight at ter Stegen – but Josh Kimmich drilled just wide to end a subdued half which the Germans shaded. 
Whatever Southgate said at half-time must have gone down like a lead balloon because England started the second period catastrophically. 
Dier squared to Maguire on the edge of his own box but the United skipper was robbed by Musiala, who then destroyed him. 
While ref Danny Makkelie did not spot Maguire’s trip, believing Musiala had dived, his VAR sent him to his monitor and he inevitably pointed to the spot. 
Gundogan side-footed into the corner, as if the Germans would ever miss a penalty against England.  
Soon, it got even worse. Dier fell over in his own penalty, presenting Germany with a great opportunity – luckily, though, it was Timo Werner and he wasted it.  
Harry Kane then looked to have won it for England after converting his penaltyCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Nick Pope’s late error then allowed Kai Havertz to equaliseCredit: Getty

Musiala then filleted Maguire, who fell over, and fed Werner, who did what he does and shot wide across goal. 
Maguire, seemingly hell-bent on atonement, charged upfield but lost possession to his nemesis Musiala – a former England Under-21 international. 
Germany broke and when Werner squared a pass, Havertz bent a beauty into the far corner from 20 yards.  
England began their comeback with a slick passing move which ended with Shaw’s effort narrowly crossing the line despite an effort from Niklas Sule to hack it clear. 
Then Bukayo Saka, who had recently arrived off the bench along with Mount, showed wonderful feet to tee up his fellow sub for a blistering first-time finish. 
Schlotterbeck then fouled Bellingham – another offence only spotted by VAR – and Kane thumped in the spot-kick. 
But then Pope, certainly not infallible, had his moment of madness – and Southgate had travelled from despair, to ecstasy to utter confusion in the space of 20 minutes. More