Exclusive-Soccer-765K World Cup visitors fall short of Qatar's expected 1.2M influx

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Round of 16 - Portugal v Switzerland - Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar - December 6, 2022 General view of fans sitting amongst empty seats inside the stadium during the match REUTERS/Paul Childs

DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar received just over 765,000 visitors during the first two weeks of the World Cup, according to an organisers' report obtained by Reuters, falling short of the country's expectations for an influx of 1.2 million during the month-long event.

A huge surge in visitors at this stage is unlikely with only eight teams staying on in Doha, and eight games left out of the 64 in the tournament that began on Nov. 20.