Ever since Qatar had expressed an interest in hosting sport’s biggest tournament, the bid had been doomed by naysayers from the start. Questions were raised over the validity of holding the World Cup in the heat of the summer, not to mention the country’s lack of association with football and its tiny population. But Hassan Al Thawadi, the chief executive of the 2022 bid, was nothing if not undaunted. Juggling this showpiece role with his other day jobs — the small matter of heading the legal department at the Qatar Investment Authority and at Qatar Holdings — Al Thawadi and his small team managed to find an answer to every seemingly insurmountable problem thrown their way. Air-conditioned stadia was the obvious answer to the summer temperature, but Qatar has ingeniously deflected environmental concerns by introducing newer, green cooling technologies and offering to donate stadium infrastructure to other developing countries. FIFA’s executive committee were persuaded by Al Thawadi’s argument that a vote for Doha would be a vote for the Middle East. Following from the introduction of Asia and Africa as hosts for the tournament in recent years, the region was the logical next step, but Qatar — under Al Thawadi — was bold enough to make the gamble.

In many respects, the win has already paid off. Billions of dollars of infrastructure projects have now been signed off, which will help Qatar become perhaps the most advanced state in the Gulf by the time the tournament is hosted.