Fans worldwide will have to patiently wait this year until they can celebrate the madness that is the FIFA World Cup 2022. This is because the World Cup will not be taking place in its usual summer slot. Instead, the tournament will be held in Qatar in November and December. The competition kicks off on 21st November with the final played on 18th December.
Why has it been rescheduled to take place in the winter?
This is the first time in the history of the competition it has been held in winter; this is due to the overwhelming heat in Qatar as summer temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius – not very suitable weather to play a football match in, is it?
The decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 has caused controversy about the country’s suitability as a host country, with one of the main reasons being that the tournament is going to disrupt European domestic leagues. The Premier League has announced the competition will take a break after the weekend of 12th November before resuming the fixtures again on Boxing Day – a decision that is likely to be repeated by the likes of La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1.
Teams Qualified & the Playoffs
The good news for England fans is that the team have secured a place in the tournament as one of 10 group winners, finishing off the undefeated campaign in style by thumping San Marino 10-0. The promising and talented squad is among the favourites to win the competition at 7/1. Joining those group winners will be only 3 other European nations – the runners-up of the groups and the two best-ranked group winners from the Nations League who finished third or below, all battling out in the playoffs in March.
The upcoming playoffs are certainly going to cause some excitement as there is potential for some big heavyweight clashes. For example, the previous two winners of the Euros, Portugal and Italy, could battle it out in a playoff final for a spot at the World Cup if they both win their first playoff match. Not to add any more pressure for Portugal but Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time) expects this to be his last World Cup before retirement.
Another possible final could see Scotland and Wales battling it out for one of the spots; this would be massive with neither country having qualified for the World Cup in over 20 years. These upcoming international fixtures in March should keep us sporting fans happy, stopping us from sitting at home and counting down the days for the Premier League to return!
We know the World Cup generates masses of excitement for fans across the world which, in turn, creates lots of opportunity for businesses.
Risk Integrated Marketing & The World Cup 2022 – Drive Sales By Harnessing Fan Engagement
Risk Integrated Marketing really comes into its own with a tournament like the FIFA World Cup. The prestigious tournament captivates millions of fans from all around the globe. A great example of a high-street brand harnessing the potential that Risk Integrated Marketing generates, is electrical retailer Currys.
Currys Cash for Goals promotion
Purchase a TV at or over £549 and get £10 for every England goal scored in the World Cup or £5 for every Brazilian one!
With this campaign, Currys would have had the opportunity to benefit from:
- Increased sales of televisions over a certain price threshold and time period
- Increased footfall to stores and website which could lead to additional sales of other products
- Generation of a feeling of goodwill towards Currys from football fans and customers
Currys created a memorable and attention-grabbing promotion from which both the brand and customers could benefit. With the group owner, DSG International, reporting a 40% increase in TV sales.
Risk Integrated Marketing can take many different forms and the World Cup in Qatar provides a particularly big opportunity for businesses and sponsors!
If you’ve got an idea you’d like to bring to life, or you’d like to learn a little more, speak with McClarrons Sport today by emailing Tom Landale at tom.landale@mcclarronssport.com.
