FIFA has revealed where all 32 countries will be staying and training at the Qatar World Cup this winter with England selecting an alcohol-free beach resort, Germany staying at a wellness retreat and Belgium’s base boasting a water park.
Each nation was shown a number of choices for their accommodation with inspection visits taking place while qualifying was still underway and a ‘first come, first served’ policy if more than one country wanted the same base.
But given Qatar’s compact geography and the proximity of team hotels, training grounds and stadiums, journey times will be short when compared with the vast distances teams had to cover at Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.
The majority of the teams have chosen to be right in the thick of the action by staying in or around the capital city, Doha, with England, Germany, Belgium and Portugal among eight who will be based elsewhere in the country.
Indeed, 24 of the 32 teams will be staying with a 10km radius of each other.
As Sportsmail revealed in February, England are booked in at the Souq Al-Wakra hotel in the recently expanded fishing village of Al Wakrah, 10 miles south of Doha.
While Gareth Southgate’s players will no doubt enjoy the luxury of the five-star resort and its proximity to the beach, they won’t be able to drink alcohol during their stay.
Gareth Southgate has opted to base his England squad at the Souq Al Wakra Hotel for the Qatar World Cup this winter
The hotel is a five-star facility and luxurious, but less expensive than some other options
FIFA has revealed where each of the 32 nations set to play at the World Cup in Qatar this winter will be staying and training
The compact nature of Qatar means travel distances between team hotels,