​Qatar's building an entire city for the World Cup

They say soccer brings people together, but when it comes to World Cup 2022 in Qatar, they mean that literally. As in 450,000 people, all living together in one brand-new, high-tech city that's currently taking root in the desert.

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The new outpost, known as Lusail, sits on 28sqmi of pristine desert just outside the capital of Doha, and is predicted to one day house 450,000 residents. Plans include four 75-story luxury towers, a massive mall, multiple marinas, high-end residences and shopping, 20-plus hotels, two golf courses, islands, lagoons, and a zoo. Pheewwww...

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Oh yea, and the actual soccer stadium (Lusail Iconic Stadium), which will hold 86,250 screaming hooligans and is designed to resemble the sail of a local Dhow boat.

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According to CNN, there'll also be light rail, a water taxi system, and a network of underground pedestrian tunnels to help residents escape the sweltering summer temps.

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Lusail will be a “smart city”, meaning that its energy, communication, and transportation systems will all be controlled by one command center.
 

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While the marina (pictured above) is already open, the rest of the city -- assuming everything goes to plan and all the right people get bribed -- will be finished in 2019.

Sophie-Claire Hoeller is Thrillist's über-efficient German associate travel editor, and you can guess which team she roots for. Follow her @Sohostyle