The FIFA World Cup 2022 begins on November 20. The mega event will feature 32 countries competing for the grand prize. It is the world's largest single sports quadrennial event, hence the money involved is massive.
France is the reigning World Cup champion, having defeated Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.
According to Sportskeeda, the FIFA World Cup trophy is the most costly sports trophy in the world, costing about Rs 144 crore. Given the tournament's prestige, this is hardly surprising. The trophy is made of 18 carat gold and weighs 6.1 kilos.
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Aside from winning football's most famous trophy, the champions also get a massive sum of money. As per The Hindu, the winner of the Qatar World Cup would receive Rs 344 crore, while the runner-up will receive Rs 245 crore. Meanwhile, the third and fourth-placed teams will receive Rs 220 crore and Rs 204 crore respectively.
Here is the prize money breakdown for the 2022 World Cup:
| Standing |
Prize Money (INR) |
| Winner |
344 cr |
| Runner Up |
245 cr |
| 3rd Place |
220 cr |
| 4th Place |
204 cr |
| 5th-8th Place |
138 cr |
| 9th-16th Place |
106 cr |
| 17th-32nd Place |
74 cr |
Each of the tournament's recent editions has seen an increase in prize money. As reported by The Hindu, France won Rs 309 crore for winning the 2018 World Cup, while Croatia received Rs 228 crore. The winning team in 2014, 2010, and 2006 got Rs 285 crore, Rs 245 crore, and Rs 163 crore respectively. Prior to the 2006 World Cup, champions were never paid more than Rs 81 crore.
The opening ceremony of FIFA World Cup 2022 will take place at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium, which is located 40 kilometers north of Doha.
The stadium was inaugurated on November 30, 2021, during the FIFA Arab Cup. The architects were inspired by tents used by ancient nomads in the Middle East, according to the Qatar World Cup website.
The opening ceremony was originally slated for November 21, 2022, however it was gradually rescheduled to the day prior.
Fans in India can begin viewing the FIFA World Cup live streaming at 7:30 p.m. (IST). It will be followed by the tournament's first match, which will begin at 9:30 PM.
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