Eight months before the World Cup (November 21-December 18), the small emirate is finally focusing attention on its future competition, with the highly anticipated distribution of the posters for the first round.

What to eclipse, the time of a ceremony, the many extra-sporting controversies that accompany the tournament?

They have not been lacking since the attribution of the event in 2010, from the question of human rights in Qatar to that of the recent exclusion of Russia from the qualifications after the invasion of Ukraine.

But it's time for the draw at the Doha Convention Center (DECC), a dream showcase in worldview for the Qatari authorities and culmination of their policy of "sports diplomacy".

"There will be many surprises. The draw for the competition will be different from previous ones, on a whole new level," promised Yasir Al-Jamal, one of the officials of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the World Cup-2022. , who will unveil the tournament mascot on Friday.

World Cup 2022: the procedure for drawing lots for groups Vincent LEFAI AFP

“Our mascot will be special and different from the others. Each person will have a different look at it,” the leader mysteriously slipped.

From Tokyo to Buenos Aires, from Ottawa to Dakar, the fans of the 29 qualified nations (out of 32) will especially have their eyes riveted on the famous balls divided into four hats of prestige and decreasing sporting level.

stars

For Qatar, host country which is playing its first World Cup, for defending champion France and for the six other best nations in the FIFA rankings (England, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Spain, Portugal), being in the first hat is the guaranteed not to clash.

But, in hat 2, a number of scarecrows lurk: the reborn Germany of coach Hansi Flick, the Netherlands of Virgil Van Dijk, the still eye-catching Uruguay of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, or even vice Croatia. -World Champion.

France, fallen from above after the early elimination at the Euro last summer but conquering a few months later in the League of Nations, could also find Croatia for a revenge of the 2018 final: Europe, with its 13 representatives, is the only confederation whose teams can compete in the group stage.

Neymar's Brazil, Lionel Messi's Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, Kevin De Bruyne's Belgium... The stars of football will undoubtedly follow the draw, with other big names to avoid in pot 3, like Senegal champion of Africa or Poland of Robert Lewandowski.

Unusually for this quadrennial high mass, three participants from the dams are still missing in hat 4.

In June, on a match in Qatar, two tickets will be awarded: Peru will face the winner of the Asian play-off United Arab Emirates-Australia on the one hand, New Zealand will challenge Costa Rica on the other.

Qualifications for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar Vincent LEFAI AFP

Finally, it will remain to be determined who from Wales or the winner of Scotland-Ukraine, a match postponed due to the Russian invasion in this country, will win the last European ticket.

Flags, clock and ball

On the Doha Corniche, the flags of the latest qualifiers have been hoisted in recent days around the countdown clock which will mark Friday 233 days before the start of the competition.

These eleven pavilions have joined the 18 first nations guaranteed to be part of the trip.

"The journey" ("Al-Rihla") is precisely the name of the tournament ball, a predominantly white sphere with blue and red stripes highlighted with gold, unveiled on Wednesday and which Fifa promises that it will have the "fastest trajectories ever recorded".

It is for him that the 1.2 million visitors expected for the first World Cup organized in an Arab country will vibrate, where several big names in football will nevertheless be missing, such as Italy champions of Europe, Egypt of Mohamed Salah, Algeria's Riyad Mahrez and Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

People gathered near the clock marking the countdown to the FIFA World Cup, in Doha, Qatar, on March 30, 2022 KARIM JAAFAR AFP

More than 800,000 tickets were purchased during the first phase of sales, between January 19 and February 8, Fifa announced.

Seventeen million had been requested but there will only be a little more than three million available (two million for sale and one reserved for Fifa and its partners).

The next phase of sales will open on April 5.

© 2022 AFP