But with Qatar’s organizers desperate to convince the world of the event’s lasting legacy more cost is likely.
Thousands of laborers are working through the night to finish some hotels, apartment blocks, and roads.
Qatar’s natural gas riches have given the emirate seemingly bottomless pockets to pay for the football extravaganza.
But mind-boggling estimates of up to $300 billion have been given for the total infrastructure spending over the past decade.
By contrast, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil cost an estimated 11.5 billion and in Russia 2018 about $14 billion.
Qatar, with a population of just 2.8 million, is one of the world’s wealthiest countries. And comparisons are unfair, according to Danyel Reiche, a visiting associate professor at Georgetown University Qatar who is leading a research project on the World Cup.
“So much of the infrastructure spending was already part of Qatar’s 2030 development plan and has just been brought forward for the World Cup,” he said.
FIFA has lauded Qatar’s preparations and the eight stadiums designed to highlight Arabic tradition and culture.
“Together we will deliver the best World Cup ever, on and off the field,” its president Gianni Infantino reaffirmed this week.
‘Phenomenal’
Qatar has said much of the criticism of its rights record is unfair, pointing to widespread reforms over the past five years that have helped the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the state.
Qatari newspapers have blamed a European media “conspiracy” for the criticism of labor.
Away from politics expectations are growing among Doha’s population.
Sat in a cafe in the Souq Waqif tourist district, Yasmian Ghanem, a member of Qatar’s golf team, said “supporters are going to have a lot of fun” in the state.
Qatar’s football fans are meanwhile nervously watching the national team’s form.
After so much spending many are desperate to see the host nation at least get past the group stage.
But the Asian champions are the lowest-ranked side in their group — 50th in the world — against Netherlands, Senegal, and Ecuador.
The gala opening match against Ecuador (44th) is seen as an early must-win game as Qataris dream of repeating South Korea’s feat of reaching the semi-finals when they co-hosted the tournament in 2002.
Christian Gourcuff, a former coach at the Al Gharafa club side, said Qatar has put “phenomenal” means into preparing the national side.
But he believes that apart from attacker Akram Afif they lack an “international dimension” and that could cost Qatar their World Cup ambitions.