World Cup 2022: air conditioning turned on for the opening match

They look like a small porthole surrounded by a red plastic outline. It is hard not to notice them on the heights of the Al-Bayt stadium. This Sunday evening, during the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the air conditioning was choppy.

This was one of the main questions at the beginning of Mondial. Will the air conditioner work regardless of the temperature? The reaction is positive for the grand launch of the tournament and the Qatar-Ecuador match. While the thermometer outside reads about 27 degrees Celsius, you lose almost seven degrees sitting in the stands. In brand new corridors and stairwells, the air is even cooler, like in the Doha metro.

Much more alarming afternoon heat

The mismanagement of the environment represented by this World Cup is the subject of constant criticism, this evening will not be an evening of reconciliation. And the upcoming matches of the tournament, especially those that will be played during the day when the heat is much stronger, are unlikely to reverse this trend.

We wanted to get up close to take a picture of these blowers, of which there are hundreds. The guard protested against the end of the inadmissibility, while confirming that it was indeed an air conditioner. We had to descend quickly, just enough to have our hair cut off by the power of the turbines.