What’s new in Qatar?
This is the first time that the FIFA World Cup is being held in the winter. Breaking the tradition of being held from mid-June to mid-July, the World Cup in Qatar will be held from mid-November to mid-December.
- This is the first time that the FIFA World Cup is being held in the winter. Breaking the tradition of being held from mid-June to mid-July, the World Cup in Qatar will be held from mid-November to mid-December.
- Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country and the third Asian country to hold the FIFA World Cup. Japan and South Korea jointly hosted it in 2002.
- For the first time in World Cups, teams can substitute five players in a game. Those five substitutions can be made in a maximum of three windows across the 90 minutes. Previously, three substitutions were allowed.
- FIFA has introduced female referees for the first time in the Men's Football World Cup. Yamashita Yoshimi, Salima Mukansanga and Stephanie Frappart are three women referees who have all been named among the 36 referees selected.
- The matches will feature semi-automated offside technology. The World Cup ball will have a sensor inside of it letting the referee know the position of the ball during the play with respect to the players' body. These technologies have been successfully trialled at numerous test events and live at FIFA tournaments, including the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 and the FIFA Club World Cup 2021.
- This is the first time that the host country will hold the World Cup matches in fully air-conditioned stadiums.
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