This morning, FIFA announced that Russia and Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, disappointing soccer fans all over the Western Hemisphere. The organization’s choice to hold the 2022 World Cup in a tiny Middle Eastern emirate makes Qatar the event’s first Muslim host country, and it promises to be memorable for other reasons as well: the Qatari royal family has pledged to spend $4 billion to build 9 stadiums, renovate 3 others and install state-of-the-art outdoor air conditioning systems in all 12 to combat the intense heat the region normally experiences during the summer months – temperatures often climb to 120 degrees during the day.
During the next 12 years, Qatar will spend an additional $50 billion getting ready for the tournament, and you can prepare too by spending that time practicing your footballing skills with promotional sport balls – there’s plenty of time to perfect your skills and try out for your country’s national team!