LONDON (Reuters) - Sunday marks the point where it is one year to go until the opening match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the tournament, played for the first time in a northern hemisphere winter, rapidly taking shape.
The opening match will take place on Nov 21 in the 60,000 capacity al-Bayt Stadium.
Kickoff will no doubt come as some relief to organizers as the football takes centre stage, shifting the limelight away from the numerous off-pitch issues, such as labor rights for migrant workers, that have surrounded the event.
Given Qatar is the smallest country in size (11,600 km2) to host a World Cup, and, as all the stadiums are situated in and around the capital Doha, supporters can attend multiple games on the same day.
Fans around the globe watching on TV can tune in to an unprecedented four back-to-back matches in one day.
There will be no repeat of the last-minute rush to finish stadiums and infrastructure, as was the case at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
According to the organizing Supreme Committee, five of the eight stadiums purpose-built for the World Cup are complete.
Two more - the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium and al-Bayt Stadium - will be inaugurated during the Arab Cup - a dress rehearsal event which starts on Nov 30 and finishes a year to the day before the World Cup final on Dec 18.
The last arena to be finished is the Lusail Stadium - the venue for the final.
“For all those who love football, this will be like a toy shop is for a child,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said this week.
“There will be eight, state-of-the-art stadiums – some of the most beautiful stadiums in the world within 50 kilometers (of each other), so it’s going to be great. The World Cup is an occasion to get to know other cultures and other people.”