With the 2022 FIFA World Cup nearing, football fanatics from all over the world are preparing to fly to Qatar to be right in the center of all the action. In fact, Qatar is expecting 1.2 million visitors throughout the entire duration of the tournament.
But, Qatar is the smallest country to ever host the World Cup.
And while there are several hotels around Doha, the country only has around 30,000 hotel rooms. With this, they set up “fan villages” to accommodate the influx of fans.
Check out what the fan villages look like:
According to Reuters, fans can rent one of the 6,000 aluminum ‘portacabins’ lined up, row after row, for around $200 a night. Each room, in its small cabin-like space, can house up to two people and includes a nightstand, a small table, a chair, air conditioning, and a bathroom.
The World Cup fan villages also feature a temporary supermarket and outdoor screens where fans can watch the matches.
According to the head of accommodations of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy for the tournament, Omar al-Jaber, these cabins were specifically made to be “budget” accommodations, offering fans cheaper alternatives to hotels and other rentals available in the area.
It’s a charming solution to the country’s lack of space. But it isn’t without its quirks.
One of the main criticisms about these fan villages is that they force all the fans to cram into a relatively limited space. Plus, given that the cabins only provide basic necessities, along with the fact that visitors are only able to drink in certain areas on-site, the common areas are likely to crowd.
But even so, as of last week, up to 60% of the cabins had already been booked. Evidently, fans are willing to take the not-so-luxurious side if it means getting to witness a once-ever-four-years event. But, as football is the most popular sport in the world, this comes as no surprise.
Would you stay in one of these fan villages if it meant getting to witness the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Banner image from Front Office Sports on Twitter.