With just over three years to go until the FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off in Qatar, preparations for the tournament’s first visit to the Middle East and Arab world are in full swing.
The launch of the Official Emblem FIFA World Cup 2022, which was beamed onto buildings in Qatar and numerous major cities around the world at 20:22 local time on Tuesday 3 September, was just the latest milestone on the road to hosting one of the biggest and most prestigious sporting events in the world.
Since winning the right to host the tournament almost nine years ago, Qatar has reached a vast number of milestones. Here, we look at a long list of achievements since that magical moment on 2 December 2010 when FIFA named Qatar as the host country for 2022 tournament.
Compact tournament
Qatar will host the most compact FIFA World Cup in modern history. The longest distance between stadiums will be just 55km – meaning fans will be able to attend more than one match per day during the early stages of the tournament.
Hosting the tournament in November and December will mean perfect conditions for players and fans, thanks to average highs of 24C. For those fans watching on TV, Qatar’s global central location will mean prime-time viewing for more than 4 billion people.
Infrastructure progress
Qatar has launched two FIFA-compliant stadiums already. Following an extensive redevelopment, Khalifa International Stadium was inaugurated in May 2017, while Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah City – the first proposed Qatar 2022 stadium to be built from scratch – was unveiled earlier this year. Both stadiums feature innovative cooling technology for the benefit of players and fans.
Of the remaining six stadiums, Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium – Al Khor City are in the final stages of construction, while Lusail Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium and Ras Abu Aboud Stadium will all be launched well ahead of the tournament, which will kick off on 21 November 2022.
Legacy programmes
The SC has launched a range of legacy programmes to ensure Qatar and the region benefits from the hosting of the tournament long after the final whistle goes on 18 December 2022.
Generation Amazing
The football for development programme Generation Amazing was launched during Qatar’s bid and has expanded significantly over the past nine years. It is active in seven countries and has already
reached more than 500,000 beneficiaries thanks to the development of community facilities and the implementation of training and education projects.
Challenge 22
The Challenge 22 innovation award has helped to foster innovation and entrepreneurship among Arab youth, with a number of the projects receiving both funding and mentorship from the SC which has helped bring their products to market.
Workers’ Welfare
The health and safety of workers in Qatar remains the country’s number one priority. The SC has developed Workers’ Welfare Standards to ensure the wellbeing, safety, security and dignity of all workers engaged on Qatar 2022 projects. The standards cover the entire cycle of a worker’s employment, from recruitment to repatriation, and are enforced by a robust four-tier audit system. There are currently more than 27,000 workers on site at our construction projects. Since construction work began, more than 200 million hours have been worked.
Josoor Institute
The Josoor Institute continues to boost the sports and events management industries in Qatar. Its training and education courses have benefitted thousands of people across the country and region. One of the main objectives of the Josoor Institute is to ensure the knowledge gained from hosting the FIFA World Cup continues to benefit Qatar and the region long after the tournament has finished.
Community Engagement
Everyone in Qatar – whatever their background or nationality – is a part of this once-in-a-lifetime journey towards hosting the FIFA World Cup. The SC has launched a range of activities to benefit community members, including the Youth Panel, for young people passionate about being involved in Qatar 2022, the Accessibility Forum, to ensure the tournament is the most accessible in history, and the Volunteering Programme, which invites people from around the world to support the organisation of SC events, such as stadium launches and tournament milestones.
Safety and security
Over the past nine years Qatar has struck up collaborations with international experts such as INTERPOL, the Council of Europe, the UK Home Office, French Gendarmerie and other partners to ensure the safety and security of visitors in 2022.
Members of the media are invited to download, via the links below, certain static images and videos relating to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Emblem.
By downloading and/or otherwise accessing such files, you are deemed to have agreed to:
- in the case of the static images, only make use of such static images for editorial, noncommercial purposes only; and
- (ii) in the case of the videos, be bound by the following VNR terms of use.
Downloadable static images of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Emblem
Downloadable infographic describing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Official Emblem
Downloadable launch video (English – other languages will follow)
Downloadable making of B-roll
List of locations where the emblem can be seen as a projection or on outdoor billboards