The 500-day countdown to the 2022 FIFA World Cup will start on Friday, as Qatar prepares to welcome more than a million fans for the greatest footballing event on earth.
The first World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world will kick off on 21st November and conclude on 18th December – Qatar National Day.
Qatar's World Cup infrastructure projects have reached 95 per cent completion, with all eight stadiums set to be ready by the end of the year.
The CEO of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, Nasser al-Khater, and young fans in the capital Doha, spoke on Thursday of their pride at hosting the biggest single-sport event in the world.
"Five hundred days to go means we're getting very close," said al-Khater.
"It brings the world together, it brings the Arab world together, it's a moment of pride in the history of this part of the world."