The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 proved to be the best edition of tournament and it removed many misconceptions and stereotypes about Qatar and the Arab world and has left a lasting legacy not only for the region, but also the entire world. Qatar set new standards for future hosts.
The country ensured that the World Cup leaves a transformational social, human, economic and environmental legacy. The use of technology and AI played a key role and that is a potential feature for the future hosts to adopt. Security and cyber systems implemented in the Qatar during the World Cup are important legacies. Besides, lessons learnt from making the World Cup accessible for persons with disabilities should be applied during the next tournament in 2026.
As part of the country’s efforts to ensure the World Cup has a lasting social impact, beyond the tournament, Education Above All Foundation, SC and Generation Amazing Foundation have announced that 27 tents designed by Zaha Hadid Architects will be donated to the International Organisation of Migration and Qatar Red Crescent.
Qatar staged an impressive tournament and fun activities. People who came from all over the world lived in a festive atmosphere and the arrangements won the admiration of all the participating teams and football fans.
The country succeeded in presenting the correct image of the region and changing the prevailing negative stereotypical image of Arabs and Muslims and put its Arab and Islamic imprint on the most important and largest sporting event in the world. An estimated 1.5 million football fans and visitors came for the tournament from across the globe. Many of them had visited an Arab country for the first time and found the host country a welcoming and hospitable place, which created a good impression of the region and helped removed negative perceptions among those who hesitated to travel here.
The legacies of the World Cup are many such as development of an integrated infrastructure and transportation network, multiple recreational, tourism and sports facilities, parks and gardens across the country, supporting people with disabilities and technology for cooling the stadiums. This success would not have been possible without prior planning and the sound vision of the leadership.
Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa hailed the remarkable hosting capabilities of Qatar as it staged one of the most memorable football showpieces in recent history. “Qatar provided an unrivalled stage. We showed the world that this was indeed Asia’s time, and I am heartened to note that Qatar delivered on its promise,” said Shaikh Salman.
