1.2 million World Cup tickets sold, organisers say

Chief organiser Hassan Al-Thawadi said there had been "record-breaking" demand for the November-December World Cup, the first held in the Middle East. "I think about 1.2 million tickets have already been purchased," he told the Qatar Economic Forum.

"So people are actually buying and people are excited to come there. There's no doubt about that." The figure was confirmed by organising committee officials, who said there were about 40 million requests in the two phases of sales.

Qatari capital Doha, with a population of about 2.4 million, is bracing itself for the huge influx of visitors, with hotel accommodation extremely scarce. Some fans will stay in 1,000 traditional Qatari tents, while others will sleep on cruise ships docked in Doha.