By the time the Australian men’s team line up for their World Cup play-off against the United Arab Emirates in Doha on Tuesday night, temperatures are expected to have dropped to 32°C.
While that’s cooler than the average daytime high of 38°C, and the two teams will be able to enjoy the luxury of an air-conditioned stadium, it’s a brief reminder of why this year’s World Cup, which kicks off in Qatar on 21 November, will be the first to be played in winter.
But ahead of the tournament stretches a summer with average high temperatures of around 41°C. In this heat, thousands of workers from South Asia (who make up more than 90% of Qatar’s workforce) will continue to toil outdoors, building transport infrastructure, stadiums, hotels and other facilities.
