On the 14th November, in the biggest football match in Qatar history, football giants Brazil and England will clash together again - this time in a Doha stadium.
Qatar is benefiting from an arrangement made in 2007, when Brazil played England in the opening match of the Wembley stadium. With the English football association strapped for cash at the time, sports agency Kentaro coughed up the 1.2 million pounds needed for Brazil to play - but stipulating that a reciprocal match must also be played away.
Last time the two teams met Brazil scraped a draw with a goal in the dying minutes of the match. This time all eyes will be on the match to see if England can pull of a victory in the run up to the World Cup.
Tickets can be purchased via Fifa if you have a fan number. Tickets can also be purchased from booths in Qatar's major mall. In Qatar tickets start from QAR200.
Getting to Qatar
Qatar Airways provide a direct flight from London to Qatar. Arriving in Qatar is normally fairly relaxed, and UK citizens can get visa on arrival. You can't, however, bring alcohol or pork into the country, and your bags will be x-rayed upon leaving the airport.
Drinking
Drinking is limited in Qatar (see alcohol in Qatar), although it is possible that the fairly sensible government will make special arrangements for the match.
To buy alcohol you usually need a permit, and indoor drinking is limited to bars and clubs. For some of the cheaper places (nothing is cheap) try the bars at the Ramadan hotel, especially Shehrazad. The Irish bar at the Sheraton is also very popular, and you can dance the night away at the ... bar in La Cigale.
Although the amount of accommodation has grown since the Asian Games, Qatar is still likely to struggle to handle 10,000 English fans - so book quick to avoid disappointment. Check out Booking.com for discount rates on Qatar hotels.
Expensive
La Cigale (see our review) is not too far from the stadium. Set in the center of the city, it is a ten minute taxi ride away from the stadium when things are quiet. For a sea view, though, you will need to move further away. If you are feeling really flush, check out the Ritz Carlton Sharq Village and Spa, modelled after a desert village (but rather more comfortable.) Check out our Luxury Guide to Qatar Hotels for more information.
Middle of the Range
The Ramada provides a more budget place to stay, especially in the old section of the hotel. You also have the advantage of numerous bars and restaurants and a large pool. The Mercure, which is located in the Souq Area, also provides a cheaper alternative, as well as great shopping - you may struggle to get out of traffic at rush hour, though.
Don't expect pork to be available (unless you get friendly with some Americans from the airbase!) However, you can still get a slap-up English breakfast at the Sandwich Cellar, albeit with beef sausages and bacon. They also serve English food throughout the day. Click here to see our review.
Anything else to do while you are there?
Yes - get the thrill of your life with extreme driving in Qatar's desert.
Options include hiring a car and driver to take you for the ride of your life among sand dunes. As the drivers are skilled at driving as well as scaring the living daylights out of you, this is probably the safer option.
Option 2 is to hire a car, drive to Messaieed's sand dunes and hire motorbike or quad. Use your head when doing this - a British person died on a rented quad recently.
Also consider checking out the camel races (see the video below for a taster) - hire a car or get a tour via a tour agency.
your information about tickets is wrong. You can buy tickets in FA association (british one) and not in FIFA (international association). FIFA is not selling tickets for this game, only for the 2010 World Cup.
