The Peninsula
Representatives of the 32 teams that have qualified for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 congregated in Doha for the first time yesterday.
Managers, team doctors and media officers from the 32 qualified teams are in Doha for a series of workshops designed to provide a closer look at stadiums, training facilities and the operational details of the tournament, which is set to kick-off on November 21.
Addressing the team delegations shortly after their arrival, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “The goal of our gathering is to present you with updates on operational matters and to give you a chance to raise any questions or issues that you have with experts across the respective areas of FIFA. It is a collaboration that we greatly appreciate.”
This year's FIFA World Cup will be held in the Arab world for the first time, with the final match set to be played at the 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium on December 18. Seven other stadiums will also be used for the tournament, which will be the most compact in modern history, with the greatest distance between any two stadiums being 75 kilometres.
Also speaking to the delegations was Nasser Al Khater, Chief Executive Officer of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC.
“Over the last decade, Qatar has hosted over 600 regional and international sporting events, including the FIFA Club World Cup on two occasions, and our major test event, the FIFA Arab Cup. These tournaments in particular have helped us to prepare for the greatest show on Earth – the FIFA World Cup – and prepare for your arrival in under 140 days’ time,” Al Khater said.
“I am delighted to be able to report that all our stadiums and training sites are ready and being tested with various events ahead of the big kick-off later this year. Meanwhile, final touches are being applied to our national infrastructure, operational tournament planning, and the amazing fan experience that Qatar will offer fans from around the world,” Al Khater added.
In addition to conducting visits to team hotels and team training bases, the participating delegates also participated in a number of sessions on a variety of topics including security, transportation and football technology and refereeing.
Tickets for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022? are now available on a first come first served basis. Ticketholders are encouraged to book their accommodation, and apply for Hayya cards as soon as possible.