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Financial Times
Financial Times
Business
Simeon Kerr in Doha

Qatar counts down to World Cup kick-off after $200bn soft power bet

© Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images

The sounds of building work and heavy machinery fill the air across the Qatari capital, and video displays count down the days until the wealthy Gulf state will be at the centre of the sporting world.

In just over a month, Qatar will host the Fifa World Cup, the most prestigious event in international football, capping a journey that began in 2010 when the gas-rich country won the host rights in a vote that is now widely discredited.

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