The FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar this November will be a first in many respects, for instance, it'll be the first in the Middle East, in a Muslim state and no other tournament has ever been held in the northern hemisphere winter.
It will also be unlike any other finals that have previously taken place and the logistical challenges facing organizers, from providing enough accommodation to dealing with unruly fans, will only intensify.
Qatar, which is roughly the size of Jamaica, is also the smallest state to have held football'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 also means there could be real pressure on Qatar's limited accommodation market, with organizers estimating 1.2 million fans to visit the country over the 28 days of the tournament.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who inherited the decision from his predecessor Sepp Blatter, initially looked at the possibility of other countries in the region sharing hosting duties, but that option was eventually ruled out.
Infantino has rather pitched 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 other countries throughout their stay in this region," he told Reuters in an interview.
"That is certainly what we also recommend because I think one of the biggest experiences in this particular World Cup ... is an opportunity for people to come to a country and a part of the world that they maybe do not know," he added.
It is a worthy suggestion but is one that is arguably only really an option for those with large pockets, and it contrasts with Qatari organizers' efforts to make the World Cup accessible for fans with more modest budgets.
Capped room rate
Organizers have put caps on the room rates hotels can charge supporters, with three-star rates capped at around $120.
Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy has promised 130,000 rooms, including hotels and 60,000 rooms in apartments and villas, plus around 4,000 rooms on two cruise ships and the remainder in fan villages.
Officials are also trying to make sure that fans, used to enjoying plenty of beer with their football, have alternatives to the pricey expat hotel bars where a pint of beer can cost around $18.
Although alcohol is normally only available in such settings, special fan zones will be set up across the country during the tournament so that supporters can watch games and drink for more familiar prices.
"Alcohol prices will be capped in the fan zones, similar to what was seen at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019 where a pint was around 5 pounds ($6.55)," said a source close to the discussions.
The fan zones – and other venues – will have to cope with fans from all 32 countries, in contrast to most tournaments where cities host just two nations at a time before games.
"I believe that having so many nationalities and people coming together and mingling together will be really beneficial, and will also move and elevate the World Cup into a big, big social gathering," said Infantino.
That gathering might, however, require some skilled security and policing, given football tournaments have had a history of rival supporters clashing.
In that respect, Qatar is working with close ally Turkey on a security aid plan. As part of the plan, Turkey will dispatch at least 3,000 personnel from its riot police units to the country for the World Cup.