Qatar ‘On Track’ To Host 2022 FIFA World Cup Soccer

Officials Now Focused On The Fan Experience 

All is going according to plan and host country Qatar is “on track” to hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, according to event organizers.

“Qatar stands where no other host did before, said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “Qatar wants to amaze the world and is on track to achieve it.

“The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be a breakthrough from a social and cultural perspective. It will open the doors of this football-mad region, offering a new perspective to locals and foreigners, bringing people together and serving as a tool for common understanding.”

The tournament is schedule for 21 November-19 December in 2022.

According to FIFA, 136 out of 900 qualifying matches have already been played and the tournament infrastructure is evolving in and around Doha. Two stadiums are fully operational, Khalifa International and Al Janoub, while three more venues – Education City, Al Rayyan and Al Bayt – will be inaugurated this year. The remaining three stadiums are expected to be completed well before the start of the tournament.

The country’s infrastructure is also coming into place as new metro lines are in place to transport the football fans.  across three games during the FIFA Club World Cup. New roads and training sites are being completed, the airport expanded and permanent and temporary accommodation will be delivered with the aim of coping with demand while also considering post-event use.

This has to be welcome news to all fans who are planning on attending the 2022 World Cup. They do not need to worry about things not being ready when they arrive in Qatar.

“With all our infrastructure projects on track, one of our key priorities now is to shape the fan experience in 2022,” the Chief Executive Officer of the Q22, Nasser Al Khater. “We are determined to host a tournament which is welcoming to all and family-friendly, and one that shows our country and region in the most positive light. We learned a lot from the Club World Cup across every functional area and will apply the lessons learned in the 2020 edition and in our 2022 planning.”

FIFA Club World Cup events in 2019 have been and are being used as a testing ground for the facilities and infrastructure in advance of Word Cup 2022. More events are scheduled in 2020.

“Test events give us a great opportunity to assess new stadiums, work with authorities, integrate and train the teams,” said FIFA’s Chief Tournaments & Events Officer and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC (Q22) Managing Director, Colin Smith. “That all provides us with an important insight into planning for the World Cup.

“And as we move closer, planning becomes more operational. The joint venture team we have in Qatar is increasing in size, several teams have already visited Qatar to inspect training facilities, and we are bringing stakeholders closer – our Commercial Affiliates were in Doha last year, and the main broadcasters earlier this year.”

Overall, excitement is building in the country and among the event’s local organizers.

“Ten years of our lives, day in, day out, have been dedicated to this tournament,” said H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC). “Personally, I can only look forward with excitement, as well as some nerves, but more importantly, conviction that this will be – without a doubt – the best tournament.

“We are determined to ensure that the first World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world will set a benchmark in the history of hosting major sporting events.”