FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022:
According to a report, more than 750,000 Indian nationals live in Qatar, which is almost a quarter of the population. 
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has a separate category for Qatari residents, with tickets starting at 40 riyals (INR 876).
: The Indian team has not made it to the FIFA World Cup. Despite this, Indian football fans are planning to travel to Qatar to watch the game.
Over 23,500 of the 1.8 million Qatar World Cup tickets sold in the first two phases have been bought by Indian football fans. After the first round of ticketing for Football Festa, India was ranked eighth in ticket consumption.
Around 18,000 Indian fans were present in Russia during the last edition of FIFA in the year 2018. Russia had the third highest number of fans among non-competitive countries on the subcontinent, behind only the United States and China.
So what motivates the fans of a country whose women's team is ranked 58th while its men's team is ranked 104th and has drawn such large numbers to the world's biggest sporting spectacle? Never participated in a World Cup?
Football scenario:
However, the football scene in India at the national level looks pretty dismal. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) reported an 85% drop in funding in May 2022. The cut in funding was cited as the poor performance of the men's team, a lack of discipline in the women's game and a drop in ticket sales.
Last month, FIFA temporarily banned India due to third-party interference. Now the ban has been lifted. But all these factors do not mean that the nation feels alienated from the game of football. A YouGov study conducted by Indian Super League team FC Goa in January this year revealed that there are 160 million football fans in India. The love for the game is undoubtedly still there.
What is the preference of fans?
The main reason for the huge turnout of fans in the Qatar World Cup could be that it will be the closest venue to the World Cup as compared to other editions.
Many Indian cities are just a 3-4 hour flight away from Doha. Due to which fans can easily reach there According to a report, more than 750,000 Indian nationals live in Qatar, which is about a quarter of the population. Under FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, there is a separate category for Qatari residents, whose tickets start at 40 riyals (INR 876) and are allowed to invite non-residents as guests.
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