• 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ will be the most compact World Cup in history, allowing fans to watch multiple live matches per day;
• New satellite mapping shows the total ‘Tournament Footprint’ will be less than half the size of London, UK (235sqm) [1], with travel times between stadiums ranging from five minutes to 60 minutes;
• Longest distance between stadiums a little more than the distance between Liverpool FC’s Anfield and Manchester United’s Old Trafford[2];
• Shortest distance between stadiums shorter than the distance between Arsenal FC’s Emirates and Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane[3];
• 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ will provide prime time viewing times for more than three billion people around the world;
• Release of new data coincides with the six years until kick off anniversary, with the first game set to be played at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on 21 November 2022;

 

—- The 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ will be the “ultimate live experience” for football fans, according to the organisers of the tournament who today lifted the lid on the compact nature of the 2022 tournament and announced that travelling fans to the Gulf State in six years’ time will be able to watch multiple live game per day and endure minimal travel times between venues.

 

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (Supreme Committee), the organisation responsible for delivering the stadiums, infrastructure and legacy programmes for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™, has released never before-seen stats using a new bespoke satellite mapping tool that calculates the distances and travel times between the eight currently under construction stadiums that are set for completion by 2020.

 

The release of the new data coincides with the six years until kick off anniversary, with the first game set to be played at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on 21 November 2022. It also marks the near halfway mark since the country won the hosting rights for the Qatar 2022 World Cup project on 2 December 2010.

 

The new tool also enabled the Supreme Committee to map the total ‘Tournament Footprint’, showing how the total square mileage of the stadiums and training pitches required for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ will be contained within a mere 235sqm, equal to less than half the size of Greater London which covers over 670sqm. To put that in the context of other major cities in the UK, the total Tournament Footprint is a little over twice the size of Birmingham and four times the size of Manchester and Liverpool[4].

 

The Supreme Committee has also been able to map the total distances between stadiums and begin calculating travel times, demonstrating the minimal distances that fans and players will have to travel between stadiums in 2022. The longest distance between any two 2022 FIFA World Cup™ venues, Al Bayt – Al Khor City in the North of Qatar and Al Wakrah in the South, is a mere 35 miles, only seven miles further than the distance between Liverpool FC’s Anfield and Manchester United’s Old Trafford. The shortest distance between any two venues, Khalifa International and Qatar Foundation, is a mere 3.5 miles, one mile shorter than the distance between Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane.

 

The compact nature of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ will mean that fans can realistically watch an unprecedented two-to-three live games per day during the group stages, depending on the final FIFA match schedule.

 

It also means fans will spend a similar amount of time travelling to and from games as they would do if they were making their way across any major city centre, with travel times ranging between 60 minutes for the longest commute between venues and a mere five minutes for the shortest. Every stadium used during the tournament will be connected by Qatar’s new state-of-the-art metro, scheduled for launch in 2019, as well as a range of other public transport options such as busses and water taxis.

 

Nasser Al Khater, Assistant Secretary General, Tournament Affairs, Supreme Committee Delivery for Delivery & Legacy said: “We have always maintained that Qatar’s size will make it one of the most unique World Cups ever that will benefit both fans and players. For fans, this will be the ultimate tournament for live game experiences. The compact nature means short travel times from the airport and accommodation to fan parks, tourist attractions and most importantly, match venues, enabling fans to watch more than one live game a day. Qatar is also only an eight hour flight for two thirds of the world’s population. This is completely unique compared to any other FIFA World Cup.

 

“For the teams competing, it will also be a huge advantage as they will be based at one location for the entire tournament, play in a consistent climate throughout and experience minimal travel between matches. If you compare this to the USA’s group stage travel during Brazil 2014, which saw them notch up nearly 9,000 air miles just for their first three games[5], you can see how this will clearly benefits the players. With one training base, one hotel and no need for exhausting flights between stadiums for the entirety of the tournament, teams will have the maximum time possible for preparation, recovery and rest.”

 

The 2022 FIFA World Cup^TM will not only be a great tournament for fans and teams traveling to Qatar but also for those tuning in around the world. Qatar’s geographical position means that the tournament will provide prime time viewing for more than three billion people around the world.

 

Qatar is investing heavily in infrastructure as part of the country’s preparations for the 2022 tournament and its 2030 National Vision. New hotels will offer travelling fans accommodation options to suit every budget and a new metro, light-rail and expanded and improved road network will mean minimal congestion on the roads throughout the tournament. Hamad International Airport is also being further expanded, increasing its hourly capacity beyond the current 8,700 to ensure the country can accommodate the thousands of players, fans and operational staff arriving in 2022.

 

Comparison of distances and travel times of 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ venues compared to the previous tournaments:

 

Past World Cup Distances and Travel Times
					2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™
Longest distance between stadiums	1,685km (Jeju Stadium to Sapporo Dome)	610km (AOL to Allianz Arenas)	1,546km (Green Point to Peter Mokaba Stadium)	3,140km (Arena da Amazônia to Estádio Beira-Rio)	55km (Al-Bayt to Al Wakrah Stadiums)
Shortest distance between stadiums	24km (Seoul World Cup Stadium to Incheon Munhak)	28km (Veltins-Arena to Signal Iduna Park)	9km (FNB Stadium to Ellis Park Stadium)	339km (Maracana to Arena Corinthians)	4.5km (Khalifa International to Qatar Foundation Stadium)
Longest travel time between stadiums	295 mins	245 mins	420 mins	535 mins	60 mins
Shortest travel time between stadiums	79 mins	26 mins	16 mins	165 mins	3 mins
Travel endured by winning team and their travelling fans*	2,400km	3,128km	4,510km	8,439km	385km (based on the longest possible distances between 2022 stadiums)

 

* see Appendix 1 for itinerary of the respective World Cup winners and for the projected total time spent by the World Cup winning team and fans who followed their team on the road to the final from the beginning of the tournament.

-Ends-

Notes to editors

 

Methodology

Both the distance and journey times between stadiums were assessed using the recommended projected distance and suggested journey paths, respectively, as provided by Google Maps. All journey times provided are the most time efficient journey paths as suggested by Google Maps, including transport methods such as flying, driving and walking. These figures do not represent the actual journey paths and distances of fans at the respective tournaments they played at or attended. The distances stated have been rounded to the nearest kilometer.

 

Appendix 1

• 2002 FIFA World Cup^TM Korea Japan
• Winner: Brazil

 

From	To	Distance	Journey time
Munsu Cup Stadium	Jeju World Cup Stadium	359km	160 mins
Jeju World Cup Stadium	Suwon World Cup Stadium	452km	125 mins
Suwon World Cup Stadium	Misaki Park Stadium	1,012km	660 mins
Misaki Park Stadium	Shizuoka Stadium	259km	242 mins
Shizuoka Stadium	Saitama	258km	209 mins
Saitama	International Stadium Yokohama	60km	86 mins

 

• 2006 FIFA World Cup^TM Germany
• Winner: Italy

 

From	To	Distance	Journey time
AWD-Arena	Fritz-Walter-Stadion	462km	258 mins
Fritz-Walter-Stadion	AOL Arena	612km	359 mins
AOL Arena	Fritz-Walter-Stadion	612km	359 mins
Fritz-Walter-Stadion	AOL Arena	612km	359 mins
AOL Arena	Westfalenstadion	343km	201 mins
Westfalenstadion	Deutsches Stadion	487km	266 mins

 

• 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM South Africa
• Winner: Spain

 

From	To	Distance	Journey time
Moses Mabhida Stadium	Ellis Park Stadium	573km	331 mins
Ellis Park Stadium	Loftus Versfeld Stadium	68km	51 mins
Loftus Versfeld Stadium	Cape Town Stadium	1263km	210 mins
Cape Town Stadium	Ellis Park Stadium	1402km	190 mins
Ellis Park Stadium	Moses Mabhida Stadium	574km	195 mins
Moses Mabhida Stadium	FNB Stadium	630km	195 mins

 

• 2014 FIFA World Cup^TM Brazil
• Winner: Germany

 

From	To	Distance	Journey time
Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova	Castelao	1021km	280 mins
Castelao	Itaipava Arena Pernambuco	611km	190 mins
Itaipava Arena Pernambuco	Estadio Beira-Rio	2979km	685 mins
Estadio Beira-Rio	Estádio do Maracanã	1126km	305 mins
Estádio do Maracanã	Estádio Governador Magalhães Pintoes	1351km	220 mins
Estádio Governador Magalhães Pintoes	Estadio José Pinheiro Borda	1351km	320 mins

 

About the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy

 

Established in 2011 by the State of Qatar, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is responsible for the delivery of the infrastructure and host country planning and operations required for Qatar to host an amazing and historic 2022 FIFA World Cup™ which accelerates progress towards achieving national development goals and creates a lasting legacy for Qatar, the Middle East, Asia and the world.

 

The stadiums, non-competition venues and other infrastructure the SC and our stakeholders are delivering will contribute to a compact and connected FIFA World Cup™ with sustainability and accessibility at its heart. After the tournament, the stadiums and surrounding precincts will become vibrant hubs of community life – an integral part of the legacy we are building.

 

Working closely with the Qatar 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC), the SC is also responsible for 2022 FIFA World Cup™ host country planning and operations. Families and groups of fans arriving from around the world will experience a secure, human-centred tournament that both celebrates and exemplifies the hospitality for which Qatar and the region are known.

 

Finally, through programmes including Generation Amazing, Challenge 22, Workers’ Welfare, initiatives such as Community Engagement and the establishment of the Josoor Institute, the SC harnesses the power of football to stimulate human, social, economic and environmental development in communities across Qatar, the region and Asia.

 

To learn more, please visit www.sc.qa.

 

 

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