Football Fans From Across the World Looking Forward to Historic World Cup in 2022

Football Fans

Over the course of four days, 32 of the world's top super fans took a trip to get to know several the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums, and to explore many cultural aspects and entertainment attractions in the State of Qatar, which is hosting the world's most prominent football event for the first time in the Middle East and the Arab world.

The delegation of football enthusiasts who were invited by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy included 32 people representing 28 countries, among them 8 are Arab countries: Oman, Algeria, Egypt, UAE, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, and Qatar, in addition to Brazil, South Africa, Argentina, Iran, Mexico, China and Poland, as well as France, Italy, Sweden, Colombia and England, Senegal, the United States, Croatia, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands, Scotland and Uruguay, the delegation enjoyed a four-day trip which included visiting the remarkable Al Bayt Stadium, exploring Qatar’s many cultural and entertainment offerings such as Souq Waqif and Qatar National Museum and meeting some legendary football stars.

During the trip, the fans also had the opportunity to enjoy football with a number of legends of the game, including Luis Hernandez, Lothar Matthaus, Yaya Toure and Marcel Desailly, on the grounds of Stadium 974, one of the World Cup stadiums, where fans toured around the stadium, and received special invitations to attend matches in the World Cup.

The tour included a visit to the Legacy Pavilion at the headquarters of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, to review the preparations for hosting the World Championship expected at the end of this year.

The trip introduced fans from across the globe to Qatar’s rich culture and offered a glimpse of what they can expect during the FIFA World Cup, which is set to take place for the first time in the Arab world and Middle East between 21 November and 18 December.

After the trip, the fans unanimously agreed that Qatar will organize a historic version of the World Cup, expressing their admiration for the advanced level of infrastructure and the ongoing preparations to host the tournament, and their happiness to visit Qatar and learn about the culture of the host country, and its rich tourist and entertainment attractions, which promises fans an exceptional experience during the World Cup. 

SC Fan Engagement Manager, Samantha Sifah, believes that the super fans can provide insight on how Qatar can deliver an exceptional experience for visitors during the tournament.

"These are the fans that travel all over the world following their teams so actually having them here to talk about the fan experience enables us to learn from the people were seeking to serve," said Sifah.

South Africa’s Mama Joy, a long-time supporter of the Bafana Bafana said that she is thrilled to return home to Johannesburg and tell her friends and family about Qatar.

"My main aim coming here is to interact with supporters from various countries and really delve into everything this country has to offer. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about Qatar, and now that I am here, I am amazed at what this country has achieved. I am certain that after the World Cup, Qatar will be known to the whole world," she said.

Javier 'El plpito' Labrador from Colombia said: "Qatar is going to allow us to move around nice and quick. Previously, I have watched a maximum of 12 games at a World Cup and this time I can see 15 or 20 games. Therefore, Qatar is going to make history. I think this could be one of the best World Cups of all time."

Luiz Cavahlo from Brazil said: "I would definitely tell Brazilian fans that Qatar is a remarkable country. It will be the first FIFA World Cup that will bring together all of the participating athletes and fans in the same city. Qatar is a safe country with a brilliant infrastructure, and I can’t wait to see it all come to life later this year."

(QNA)