Argentina fans
Argentina shirts are by far the most popular choice of kit on show in Doha
Host nation: Qatar Dates: 20 November-18 December Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Day-by-day TV listings - Full coverage details

There have been many questions and criticisms about the World Cup in Qatar.

The build-up to the first tournament to be held in a Muslim country in the Middle East has been overshadowed by controversy.

All 32 competing nations have been told to focus on the football and the first game will be played at Al Bayt Stadium.

The home nations that have qualified are in the same group and will play each other on the same day.

Who could win the World Cup is one of the controversies that the British Broadcasting Corporation looks at.

What have been the controversies?

Qatar heat is tough but England will embrace it - Coady

One of the most talked about and controversial World Cup's of all time will be hosted by the state of Qatar.

The Gulf country defeated bids from South Korea, Japan, Australia and the US to host the tournament, but there were allegations of widespread corruption.

According to the Guardian, 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died since it won the right to host the World Cup in 2020.

The numbers are based on figures provided by the embassies in the country.

The total was not true because not all of the deaths were related to the World Cup. There were 37 deaths among labourers at World Cup stadium construction sites over the course of two years, only three of which were related to work.

That was an underestimate according to the ILO.

Concerns have been raised about how the country's strict adherence to Sharia Law will affect the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual fans.

The progress has been slow and the issues of concern are still present.

Bars and venues are being urged to not show the World Cup matches.

The players were told to use their influence to speak up about the issues in the country at a news conference on Thursday.

"We'll never be politicians in terms of the way we look at things but, in terms of what the squad has done over the last few years and how much they've helped people, that comes with the territory," he said.

Last week, Sepp Blatter, who was the president of Fifa at the time, said that the decision to award the tournament toQatar was a mistake.

On the day before the tournament, Infantino accused the West of hypocrisy in its reporting about the human rights record in the country.

Infantino spoke for almost an hour and made a passionate defence of the tournament.

The tournament was moved for the first time to a winter slot because of the warm temperatures in the summer which can reach 50C.

The opening game of the season takes place just a week after the last game of the season in the English top flight.

The start of the tournament was moved a day earlier than planned by the council.

Fans will not be able to purchase or consume alcohol inside or within the perimeter of any of the eight stadiums.

The World Cup will last just 29 days from start to finish.

There is no time for a break between the groups and the knockout stages, with the last 16 starting the day after the group stages are over.

What will the experience be like for supporters?

World Cup 2022: Nesta McGregor looks at the Al Bidda Fan Park in Doha

A country with a population of less than three million is expecting a lot of visitors over the next month.

At a briefing last month, Fifa said nearly three million tickets had been sold for the tournament, with the host nation topping the list of countries with the highest number of tickets at 37% of sales.

In the days leading up to the opening game of the World Cup, bunting with flags from each competing country can be seen on the streets of the city.

Argentina shirts have 'Messi 10' on the back and are the most popular choice of kit. One of the tournament's stars is Lionel Messi, who plays for Paris St-Germain.

The roads are already busy with locals and supporters from Saudi Arabia expected to cross the border. The shuttles can be seen on the streets.

The metro carriages were quiet early in the week but there was a lot of traffic on the Friday and Saturday. There are still questions as to how the system will cope with tens of thousands of fans for each game.

An attendant at one of the stations said it would be difficult. It is going to be difficult at the stadiums where the stops are. It will be very busy because there are four matches daily.

The Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park has bright, colourful lights illuminated overhead, with music pumping out at a nearby performance stage, but this is halted for a few minutes when the Adhan is heard from nearby mosques.

Alcohol cannot be consumed in public in the Muslim country, but fans can purchase a beverage in restricted areas such as the fan park, though a beer will cost you around 12 dollars.

Who will win the World Cup?

'They have talent' - how will England do in Qatar?

The last non- European team to win the World Cup was Brazil in 2002.

According to Opta, Tite's men are favorites to go all the way for a record sixth time.

Lionel Scaloni's Argentina have a good chance of winning the tournament for the third time.

England have hit a poor run of form at the wrong time as they look to take one step further from reaching the semi-finals four years ago.

Wales have qualified for the tournament for the first time in more than 50 years and will be looking to reach the knockout stage again. They advanced to the quarter-finals before being beaten by Brazil.

According to the pundits, seven went for Brazil to win it, three for Argentina, and only one plumped for England.

A growing injury list

One of the stars that won't be on the field is Sadio Mane.

He had surgery on his knee just 10 days before the opening game of his new team.

Major names who miss out through injury include Paul Pogba (France), Diogo Jota (Portugal), Reece James (England), and Giovani loCelso (Argentina).

The two biggest players who won't be playing in the World Cup are Erling Haaland of Manchester City and Mohamed Salah ofLiverpool.

How to follow on BBC...

You can watch 33 matches on television at the same time as you can listen to live commentary on all 64 games on the radio.

England's opening game against Iran and Wales' crucial tie against CarlosQueiroz's side will be shown on the same day as Wales' match against England.

Fans can follow the drama on any device with live video streaming of the games and live commentary of the matches.

Fans will be able to watch highlights of all the games on TV and on the internet.

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Get the latest results and goal notifications for any team at the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon

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You can get a daily dose of the World Cup on the radio.

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