The Qatari World Cup promises to differ from previous tournaments in myriad ways.
Not least, organisers are being forced to get creative when it comes to finding accommodation for the estimated 1.2million football fans expected to descend on the tiny Gulf state in 2022.
A significant shortage of hotel rooms is said to have prompted local committee members to consult organisers of the Glastonbury and Coachella festivals about pitching a sea of tents in the desert.
The canvas fan villages would host between 10,000 and 15,000 visitors, easing the considerable pressures the state is currently facing when it comes to accommodation.
There are only 37,000 hotel rooms in Qatar, which is roughly the same size as Yorkshire and has a population of around 2.8 million.
Construction work will take that number to 70,000 rooms by the end of 2021, leaving a huge shortage of accommodation for supporters from the 32 competing nations.
The state had no footballing history or infrastructure when it won its bid to host the competition in 2010.
But it has already come up with one unconventional solution for temporary visitors.
Qatar has signed deals to charter two luxury cruise liners with a combined capacity of 5,000 cabins, each providing accommodation for two to five people.
Thousands are expected to base themselves on the MSC Cruises ships for the one-month tournament, which takes place from November to December 2022.
The vessels’ on-board features include swimming pools, spas, children’s play areas and a selection of restaurants.
The floating hotels will be berthed at Doha Port in the Qatari capital and shuttle buses will be used to transport fans to nearby train stations.
They will then be able to travel to each of the eight stadiums being used for the tournament, which lie within a 21-mile radius of the city.
The specific detail concerning the provision of tents is not known. Representatives from Glastonbury and the Coachella festival in California did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Any fans camping at the tournament in Qatar during November and December can expect to sleep in temperatures ranging from 17C to 30C.
The novel accommodation solutions being considered by organisers emerged at a pre-tournament update for western journalists provided by the Qatari team organising the tournament.
Coachella takes place on consecutive three-day weekends in April in the Colorado Desert, California, hosting some 250,000 revellers.
Around 200,000 attend the five-day Glastonbury festival in Somerset in June.
Both festivals provide sprawling on-site campsites for ticket holders and World Cup organisers are understood to have held talks with representatives from each event in the hope of tapping into their expertise about the facilities, security and land required.
However, in a significant departure from festival etiquette, the issue of alcohol will not be straightforward.
Tournament organisers have said alcohol will be available for fans in designated areas, but not in public spaces, out of respect for the country’s traditions.
It is legal for non-Qataris to buy alcohol in the country with a permit, and also to drink in licensed bars, clubs and hotels – although drinking anywhere in public is banned.
At the briefing, Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for Qatar 2022 asked couples of all sexual orientations attending the World Cup to refrain from engaging in public displays of affection.
“We are a progressively conservative culture, adhering to a set of beliefs which are not exclusive to the region,” he said.
“Public displays of affection between any couples are not part of our culture. We ask visitors to appreciate our culture. Respect it.”
Fans of all 32 nationalities will be thrown together and the Qataris are expected to throw concerts and events to generate a celebratory atmosphere.
“We want to welcome the football behaviour. We want fans who come and sing,” said Al Thawadi.
“We don’t want troublemakers or aggressive behaviour. These are the ones we need to make sure do not ruin it for the rest.
Controversies regarding workers’ and civil rights in Qatar have come under scrutiny since Qatar won the rights to host the Fifa World Cup.
Hundreds of immigrant workers are believed to have died whilst working on infrastructure projects.
Concerns have also been raised about Qatar’s attitude to homosexuality which is banned in the Gulf nation.
Meanwhile, leaked files alleged earlier this year that Qatar secretly offered $400million to Fifa just 21 days before it was awarded the World Cup.
The documents, seen by The Sunday Times, reportedly revealed that executives from the Qatari state-run broadcaster Al Jazeera – that was owned and controlled by Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani – signed a television contract making the huge offer.
The contract is said to have also included an unprecedented success fee of $100million (£77million) that would be paid to Fifa only if Qatar was successful in the 2010 World Cup ballot.
The newspaper alleged that another offer of $480million was made by Qatar three years later, meaning that Fifa was directly offered almost $1billion by the Qatari state at crucial times in its efforts to host and retain the right to host the 2022 World Cup.
According to the newspaper, this contract is now part of a bribery inquiry by Swiss police. Fifa refused to comment to The Sunday Times on the allegations.
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