Airconditioned stadiums at Qatar’s 2022 Football World Cup have finally been put into practice with some stunning – and shivering – results.
Venues hosting games over the coming week are forecast to see daytime temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s, with the mercury not expected to dip below 19C at night.
In anticipation of this, seven Qatar stadiums were fitted with airconditioning to keep players and spectators cool.
But they have done that and then some.
One viral video from UK boxer and social media personality Josh Denzel revealed the effectiveness of the cooling systems.
The video shows a sound engineer at the England vs Iran Group B fixture wearing a hoodie and keeping is hands in his pockets for warmth.
One person in the video suggests the engineer was shivering, and it certainly appeared so.
“If you want to know how good the aircon is in the stadiums in Qatar – this is a great example,” Denzel said.
The footage appeared to be filmed during the match at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, which England won 6-2.
Denzel isn’t the only one taking note of the stadium cooling, with The Sun reporting fans are already complaining the facilities are too cold.
After the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador, some supporters complained of being cold.
Temperatures at the Al Bayt Stadium peaked at 23C, with the coastal location adding a cool breeze around the ground.
One fan commented on the windy conditions, but the state-of-the-art airconditioning units are designed to keep temperatures in the stand around 20C, regardless of the weather.
However, Mario Sanchez, a 33-year-old US fan who knows all about wintry conditions living in Chicago, did feel the cold.
“It actually feels kind of cold tonight but that’s because it’s really windy,” he said.
And Qatar resident Faisal Rasheed said he was so cold he wore a jumper to stay warm.
As well as the reportedly high-power stadium cooling, players have access to misting devices, which the English squad has already been using.
