How long do we have to wait and what's in store ahead of the first-ever winter edition of the World Cup?

1585 days from today. That is how long football fans will have to wait until the world's biggest stars converge one more time in the colors of their country to fight for global supremacy.

Russia 2018 served up a lot of memories for both fans and players alike and, for this reason and many more, it's been dubbed as one of the best-ever organized World Cups in history. The host nation themselves did not disappoint, fighting and trumping on the likes of Egypt and Spain before their quarter-final elimination by eventual finalists Croatia.

It was a plausible effort considering they were the least-ranked side in the build-up to this summer's event. Could a similar feat playout for a country with very little football history like Qatar in 2022?

Well, that is certainly not guaranteed. The Maroons are currently placed 98th on FIFA's World Ranking but just like every other host nation, will have an automatic spot at the World Cup. That in itself is a historic milestone considering they have never managed to qualify from the Asian region since the inception of the tournament.

Regarding their chances, while a lot of work in being done to ensure that the best infrastructure is in place before the tournament's commencement, the Qatari team would have to prepare for the arrival of the big guns. The World Cup is no joke and mediocrity will just not cut it. There is a hefty amount of time to make preparations so, hopefully, the host will do a better job to offer a spectacle in the likeness of what was seen of Russia this year.

For the fans that will be pouring into the Arabian country and the 48 teams (awaiting official approval) which may be featured in the competition between November 21 to December 18, there may be a few things to look forward to. This is predominantly because the mainstream assessment suggests that a boring tournament awaits for the following reasons.

For starters, the organizers, in their preparation process, sent a delegation of more than 100 specialists from different fields to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia to take note of how the competition was run. Should they emulate the blueprint, another remarkable event awaits four years from now.

Nevertheless, there may be some complications here and there as "morality" is held in high regard in Qatar. Fans may not have the pleasure of drinking alcohol because it is forbidden by law (only allowed in specific hotels, eateries, etc). In addition, restaurants, nightclubs and bars are non-existent in the country at the moment.

In terms of tourism and sight-seeing, Qatar is not the ideal setting although their neighbors Saudi Arabia may be the hub for all the party-heads and holidaymakers who will be trooping into the emirates. Evidently, a lot of cultural reformations would have to be considered if indeed the Asian country is aiming at organizing a memorable tournament.

The stadiums, on the other hand, promises to be the right haven for footballers to write their own history and for fans to make cherishable memories. According to FIFA, four new stadia are currently under construction with the number expected to increase to nine in the coming years.

In a nutshell, there is a lot more to be done in many aspects before the World Cup officially kicks off for the first time during the winter season. For now, we will only have to look back and savor the magical moments that were made possible by Russia.