Qatar to require fans at 2022 World Cup to be vaccinated

If you plan on attending the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, then you better be vaccinated.

Qatar will require spectators at the World Cup to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani told Qatar newspaper editors that the country is trying to secure one million vaccine doses to immunize fans who want to watch the tournament, according to The Canadian Press (h/t TSN).

"Our primary goal in vaccinating the unvaccinated is to protect the public health of citizens and residents," Sheikh Khaled said.

Qatar has recorded 585 deaths and 220,800 COVID-19 cases during the pandemic. 

The 2022 World Cup will mark the first time Qatar has hosted the tournament. It will also be the last World Cup to involve 32 teams, with an increase to 48 teams scheduled for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. 

The 2022 World Cup is slated to begin Nov. 21, 2022. The tournament is typically played during the summer, but it has been shifted to the fall and winter months due to the intense heat in Qatar. 

France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia.