With under 200 days to go before the first football world cup in the Arab world kicks off, the FIFA World Cup trophy has started its tour of prominent public places in Qatar. In recent days, the trophy has visited an elderly care centre in Qatar, and Aspire Park, one of the country’s largest parks and public sports places. The 6.1kg gold trophy has also delighted thousands of migrant workers at the Industrial Area Cricket Stadium.
The trophy will also be visiting popular tourist destinations including Souq Waqif, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and Lusail Marina, before a send-off event at Cultural Village Foundation, Katara, on May 10, when the tournament’s coveted prize embarks on a global tour. It will return to Qatar before the opening match at Al Bayt Stadium on November 21, 2022.
It is indeed a proud moment for Qatar. After years of work on infrastructure and human development, the country is fully prepared to welcome fans from across the globe to a unique experience. It will not only be a mega football event, but millions of visitors will also experience the unique traditions, culture and cuisines of the Arab Gulf and the wider Middle East region.
Qatar has achieved all the goals it set after winning the bid to host the cup in 2010. All infrastructure development projects, including football stadiums and a mass transit system, have been completed before their deadlines.
The organisers are now fine-tuning their plans after the experience of successfully hosting major events like the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 in the midst of the pandemic. It will be the most compact football world cup ever. All eight match venues are within an hour’s drive from the centre of Doha.
This will also enable fans to attend more than one match a day. Qatar will also set a new benchmark in terms of legacy as a number of social, economic, environmental and health projects mean the World Cup will positively impact lives across the Middle East, Arab world and globally for decades to come.
The country has also made a lot of progress on its social and human development plans and have reformed its labour laws, to the advantage of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers.
Qatar has indeed come a long way since winning the bid in 2010, and is prepared to bring the world together post-pandemic.
