Qatar plans on taking the World Cup to a whole new level by building a stadium completely surrounded by water, where the first and final matches of the tournament will be held.
The first five stadium plans are in motion and can be seen in the video below. According to Reuters, the island stadium will have a capacity of 86,000 and will feature Qatar's pioneered air-conditioned technology which all the stadiums are reported to have.
FIFA expressed concerns about the country's climate posing a health risk to players and fans. Qatar's summers are sweltering hot, with temperatures reaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit and beyond. However, the desert state swayed the governing body by showing plans to air condition their stadiums using solar power.
Yasir Al Jamal, Qatar's 2022 bid book director, explained to CNN that it will be the first time using these technologies to keep a stadium cool.
"Stadium seats will be cooled using air pumped at the spectator ankle zone at a temperature of 18 C," Jamal said. "The same air will also be projected from the back and neck area of the seats, ensuring that each seating row of each stadium provides maximum comfort and enjoyment to fans."
It has been reported that the island stadium will take four years to build and will be completed by 2019.
Qatar beat out the bid of the United States, who hasn't hosted a World Cup since 1994. The country secured the first World Cup to ever take place in the Middle East along with being the smallest host nation since Uruguay in 1930.
