After climbing the steps of the Saud bin Abdul Rahman Stadium overlooking the immaculate lawn, the prospect of playing football is decidedly unappealing. The suffocating heat makes him uncomfortable being outside for more than 10 or 15 minutes during the peak of the day.
This is where England will be training during the World Cup later this month.
With the white building visible atop low stands before disappearing into the desert haze and the call to prayer echoing as the clock strikes 4pm, the setting is a reminder that this World Cup is going to be very different. increase.
Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium
The contest in Qatar is plagued with controversy and human rights issues. athletic In preparation for the world to come to town, we explored the country’s eight stadiums as we visited them.
After visiting the stadium, athletic We also thought it would be worthwhile to tour some of the World Cup training venues to get a better understanding of what the players experience when they arrive.
when athletic Visit in July and empty parking lots surround the stadium where England trains. There are some eateries that are open even though there aren’t many people around.
They cater to drive-thru visitors who ride in air-conditioned vehicles on hot days to get sandwiches and iced coffees. One coffee stand is staffed by Filipino workers Cecil and Kane.
Kane, of course, shares her name with England’s captain, Harry, who soon practices on the pitch right behind her stall. However, after being shown the photo, she was unconvincing and suggested that he might look familiar.
The two women are unaware that the England team will be here, but they recently visited one of Qatar’s new stadiums after tournament organizers handed out free tickets to locals to test the facility. I watched the game at
Cecil and Kane at a coffee stand near the Saud bin Abdulrahman Stadium
Qataris make up a small portion of the population of a country that has imported a large workforce in recent years to prepare for the World Cup. The transformation may be impressive, but it came at a human cost. Migrant workers from many countries are being exploited, injured and, in the worst cases, killed.
Saud Bin Abdul Rahman Stadium is not one of the newer developments, it is an older and smaller facility. Normally, last season he finished third in the Qatar Stars League, home to Al Wakrah SC, which he won in 1999 and 2001.
Few of the team’s current players are well-known outside the Middle East, but former stars include World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf, who played 10 games for the club in 2004-05. increase. Former Premier League players Youssef Chippo and Alan Goma. Journeyman striker Alan Waddle is the cousin of England legend Chris, who spent a short time here in 1986.
Workout facilities and a gym are available on site. There is table football in the corridor. There’s also a dining room with plastic chairs and fancy wallpaper, with a large screen that could soon be used for tactical instructions.
Equipped with table football
big screen in dining room
It’s all very comfortable, but not luxurious and a far cry from the facilities of a Premier League club.
At just 100 miles (100 miles) from top to bottom, Qatar is by far the smallest country to ever host a World Cup.
Most of the population lives in the capital, Doha, and seven of the eight stadiums are accessible via the Doha Metro system. The eighth, Al Bayt, is just a 25-minute drive from the nearest metro station.
All but two World Cup teams are based in and around Doha.
An exception to the Doha cluster is Germany. The 2014 winner takes an 80-minute drive north of the capital to Zulal Wellness Resort at the northern tip of the country.
Belgium were initially envious of their European rivals’ training camps. To get the combined benefits of a hotel and a training base, we thought it would be better to go a little farther for each match.
The team, led by Roberto Martinez, eventually found another option at the Hilton Salwa in Qatar’s southwest. Located just a short distance from the Qatar-Saudi border, Saudi Arabia has also qualified for the tournament.
Bases were assigned according to a first-come, first-served system, and each training base and hotel had to be approved by FIFA’s independent monitoring service.
Teams were asked to present their first, second and third options, with the first option requested first and the pick assigned to whoever qualified the fastest.
This doesn’t rule out last-minute confusion — in 2018, Brazil changed its mind a week ago. It has been four years since he lost 2-1 to Belgium in the quarter-finals and Germany in the semi-finals where she lost 7-1 at home.
Different federations have different thought processes — costs, proximity of cities and spaces, superstitions, etc. — some nations don’t declare preferred bases before they qualify, in case of a “jinx.”
Getting away from the hustle and bustle of central Doha is appealing.
England’s team hotel, Souq Al Wakrah Hotel Qatar, sits on the shores of the Persian Gulf, just a short drive from the stadium where they train.
when athletic When you visit, you’ll be welcomed by staff and allowed to take photos without notice.
The location is gorgeous, with separate low-rise lodges and plenty of space for players to relax between training sessions and games.
luxury world cup hotel in england
There is a wellness room, a well-equipped gym and the hotel faces a beautiful sandy beach. Fans who want to enjoy breakfast with Harry Kane or Raheem Sterling will be disappointed.
The beach just outside the World Cup Hotel in England
This is a “dry” hotel. The topic of alcohol has been endlessly debated heading into the tournament due to the many restrictions governing sales in Qatar.
If you want to drink alcohol, it’s possible, but it’s different than other tournaments. Alcohol is readily available in hotel bars, but not served outside restaurants, airports, etc. For a limited time, there will be a fun zone serving alcohol in the center of Bidda Park.
Inside England’s team hotel for the World Cup
Even in this relaxed and inviting setting, it’s hard to escape the big problems at stake in this World Cup – a Guardian survey earlier this year found that security guards working in Doha paid exorbitant recruitment fees, Turns out I was working 12 hour shifts. Only £1 ($1.18) for an hour.
Another stadium is a 30-minute drive north on the other side of the Doha suburb. It’s a little big, but from the outside it looks a lot like what England trains.
With SUVs parked and iced drive-thru coffees, wide highways stretching into the desert and stifling summer heat, Doha’s western suburbs feel like the dusty Southwest of America.
If you squint and ignore the mosques and signs in Arabic and English, you could be in Arizona.
The Thani Bin Jassim Stadium is where the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) trains before facing Wales, England and Iran in Group B.
Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, USMNT training base
The stadium is usually home to Al Gharafa, another Qatar Stars League team with an illustrious past, having won seven league titles, but not since 2010. Famous names who have played for this club include 1998 World Cup winner Marcel Desiree, Dutch star Wesley Reisneijder. And Costa Rican legend Paulo Wanchope. Current players include Gabriel Pires, who is on loan from Benfica, former Aston of his Villa and Bristol City’s Jonathan Kozia.
The stadium will probably be heavily guarded when the USMNT arrives, but in July, it’s easy to leave the street without invitation or notice, overlooking the stadium and its buildings.
The Middle East is in constant turmoil, but Qatar is generally a safe country, with US forces having the largest regional military presence at the massive Al-Udeid Air Base, just 30 minutes from the stadium.
There is an indoor sports center on the same premises, with facilities such as a large gym (above), offices and rest areas. There is also a tactical board with rows of chairs where players can listen to coach Greg Barhalter’s instructions. The infirmary was in need of some construction.
The stadium infirmary was incomplete when The Athletic visited in July
Just north of Doha, Lusail is a ‘planned city’ planned and built over the past two decades, with a spectacular skyline worthy of a sci-fi movie.
The stop before Lusail on the glittering Doha Metro is Qatar University.
On a mid-summer visit, there are almost no people here, and the parking lot is empty under the elevated train line to Doha and the new Lusail Stadium.
The university is huge, the facilities are new and shiny, but this time the security guards are off limits athletic Free to explore the facility.
With the Argentinian side captained by Lionel Messi based here for the tournament, this spooky site will undoubtedly host the world’s greatest footballers. Two other expected teams, Spain and Holland, will also be based here, but will train on different pitches.
The complex is huge, so there’s space for all three to train without disturbing each other or listening to tactical commands.
One of Qatar University’s training pitches
All of these locations are likely to be under heavy security during the tournament itself, preventing curious fans from disturbing the hero’s preparations for the biggest moment of his life.
It is still difficult to predict which stadium, seaside hotel or university campus will become known to a global audience.
But with hundreds of the world’s best footballers flocking to this medium-sized city, there’s no doubt that there’s going to be some drama behind the scenes at training facilities and on the pitch.
(Photo above: Simon Holmes/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
