Qatar Holds 2022 World Cup D-365 Celebration... First Ever Middle East World Cup

The First 'Winter' World Cup in History... Scheduled for November Next Year
13 Teams Confirmed for the Finals... South Korea and Iran Leading in Asia

On the 21st (local time), a drone light event celebrating the 2022 World Cup being 365 days away took place in the sky over Doha, the capital of Qatar. The Qatar World Cup is the first World Cup held in the Middle East and the first winter World Cup. The Qatar World Cup is scheduled to take place from November 21 to December 18 next year. Doha (Qatar) = AFP·Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] For the first time in history, a grand ceremony marking one year until the opening of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which will be held in the Middle East during winter, was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The Qatar World Cup qualifiers are currently underway, and so far, 13 of the 32 teams for the finals have been confirmed. In Asia, besides the host country Qatar, South Korea and Iran are expected to qualify.

According to foreign media including AFP, on the 21st (local time), a D-365 countdown ceremony for the Qatar World Cup was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Various lighting events created by drones were displayed in the sky over downtown Doha. The Qatar World Cup is the first World Cup ever held in the Middle East and the first winter World Cup. Usually, the World Cup is held between May and July, but considering the local heat, the Qatar tournament is scheduled to open on November 21 next year and run until December 18.

On the 21st (local time), one year before the Qatar World Cup, a drone created a light display in the shape of a soccer player over the capital city of Doha, Qatar. Doha (Qatar) = Photo by AFP and Yonhap News

The Qatar World Cup qualifiers have been fiercely contested despite the COVID-19 situation, and so far, 13 countries out of the 32 finalists have been confirmed. Including the host country Qatar, 10 teams from the recently concluded European qualifiers have secured their spots in the finals. In the European qualifiers, divided into 10 groups, the group winners Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, England, Switzerland, and the Netherlands have secured tickets to Qatar.

There are still three spots left in Europe, and the European playoffs to determine these will be held in March next year. The playoffs will feature the second-placed teams from each European qualifying group ? Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Ukraine, Wales, Scotland, Turkey, Russia, Poland, North Macedonia ? along with Czech Republic and Austria, who performed well in the UEFA Nations League. These 12 teams will be divided into three groups and compete in group-stage tournaments, with only the winners advancing to the Qatar World Cup.

On the 21st (local time), former French national team player Marcel Desailly (left) and Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Swiss luxury watch brand Hublot, attended the 2022 Qatar World Cup D-365 countdown event held in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Doha (Qatar) = Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

In South America, powerhouses Brazil and Argentina have already secured their places in the finals. In the South American qualifiers, where 10 countries compete in a home-and-away format, the top four teams earn World Cup final tickets. The fifth-placed team must win an intercontinental playoff to qualify.

In the Asian region, where South Korea belongs, no teams have yet qualified from the final qualifiers, but in the competition for the two final tickets given to the top two teams in Groups A and B, South Korea, placed second in Group A, is virtually confirmed to advance to the finals along with Iran. If South Korea’s qualification for the Qatar World Cup is confirmed, it will mark their 10th consecutive appearance in the World Cup finals.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.