Next stop: the 2036 Olympics. Qatar believes the World Cup has gone so well that it can be a springboard to hosting the biggest sporting event of all. The Guardian understands the country is ready to flex its muscles again and bid to stage the Games in the autumn of 2036, despite having failed three times in the past.
Those earlier bids fell short due in part to scepticism from within the International Olympic Committee that such a small country had the infrastructure to stage an event that attracts 10,500 athletes across 32 sports, along with millions of spectators. However there is growing optimism in Doha that this World Cup offers proof to the IOC that Qatar can deliver an Olympics-style concept, with multiple venues in one major city.
