By Simran Tandon

Which country has won the most World Cups? Why does the World Cup happen every 4 years? Or did you know that Cristiano Ronaldo scored 57 hat tricks in his entire career? With so many random questions, I often find myself clueless about the mega world of football, especially amongst a group of passionate FIFA fanatics. Well, high-five if you feel the same!

It was reported that the 2018 world cup had an average of 517 million LIVE viewers and 1.1 billion offline viewers when France beat Croatia. Now, just imagine the audience that the 2022 Qatar competition is going to capture. Well, with the next FIFA just around the corner, here are some fun facts to equip yourself with for the game nights.

Let’s start with the basics

1. The humble beginnings of FIFA i.e. The Federation International de Football Association is credited to Jules Rimet who had the desire to create an international competition between men’s football teams. Being the longest-serving president of FIFA, the World Cup trophy is actually named after him.

2. The first world cup took place in 1930 in Uruguay during which only 13 nations participated. Today, 32 nations are a part of this mega event.

3. The 2 powerhouses of football, Ronaldo and Pelé have strived to bring 5 world cups to Brazil, making it a nation with maximum wins.

4. France’s Just Fontaine has maintained the record of a player with most goals scored in a single World Cup tournament, whereas, Miroslav Klose is the only player who has scored most goals in the game’s history.

5. Looking at how grand the event is, it is fair to see the world cup happen every 4 years. It gives the association and host country enough time to prepare and for qualification fixtures to be played.

What makes QATAR FIFA so unique?

6. The 2022 edition of the competition will be the first-ever winter world cup in the Northern Hemisphere. Prior to this, all world cups happened in the Southern Hemisphere in the summers. This is also the first time that the game is being hosted by a Middle Eastern nation.

7. With a whopping $200 billion investment in infrastructure to build stadiums, highways, hotels etc., Qatar FIFA will be the most expensive World Cup in the history of the game. Undoubtedly, the nation is leaving no stone unturned to make it luxurious, exclusive and highly sustainable at the same time.

8. The prizes are indeed as grand as the event. This season’s World cup winner nation will receive a million dollar worth trophy with a cash prize of $42 million. Every year, these prices are hiked up by millions of dollars.

9. Qatar being nestled right in the center of the world, will witness a record-breaking number of visitors, roughly 1.5 million spectators around the globe will enter Qatar. With 1300 flights touching Qatar on a daily basis, the viewership of this season will be record-breaking.

10. Lastly, this FIFA will provide the perfect opportunity to help bridge the cultural gap between Europe and the Middle East. Qatar being the landmark of cultural hospitality, this occasion will bring both worlds together.

Hopefully, with this knowledge dose, most of us might be feeling better! At least I do!

Hence, this FIFA season, let’s try to join the madness with our friends. Go out and watch LIVE screenings, indulge in some FIFA special food combos and maybe participate in some world cup inspired games like the one at H Bar where you can get a chance to win a fully paid island trip by just predicting the winning teams every day.

By the end of the season you will know that FIFA is not just a game, but a feeling! A feeling of discipline, respect and fair play.