Qatar will host a World Cup but not as we know it

DOHA: November's World Cup in Qatar will be unlike any other finals that have previously taken place and the logistical challenges facing organisers, from providing enough accommodation to dealing with unruly fans, will only intensify.

The Gulf state will host the first World Cup in the Middle East, the first in a Muslim state, and no other tournament has ever been held in the northern hemisphere winter.

Qatar, which is roughly the size of Jamaica, is also the smallest state to have held soccer's biggest event, with fans from the 32 competing nations set to watch games at eight stadiums clustered around the only major city - Doha.

On the plus side that means supporters will be able to easily reach all the venues, raising the possibility of watching more than one match in a day - in contrast to recent tournaments in Russia and Brazil where flights were often needed to travel to each venue city.

But it is also means there will be a real squeeze on Qatar's limited accommodation market, with organisers estimating 1.2 million fans to visit the country over the 28 days of the tournament.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who inherited the decision to allow Qatar to host the tournament after taking over from his scandal-hit predecessor Sepp Blatter, initially looked at the possibility of other countries in the region sharing hosting duties.

But while that option was eventually ruled out, Infantino is still keen to portray the tournament as a chance for fans to experience the broader Arab world.

"There will be accommodation for everyone who wants to stay in Qatar, but maybe somebody then wants to make a day in Dubai or Abu Dubai or Muscat or Riyadh or Jeddah or whatever in the region and they will have the opportunity to go and visit