Less than 300 days to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, stadiums and other infrastructure facilities have been completed as Qatar awaits an expected 1.5 million fans for the football fiesta, which will be held from November 21 to December 18.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the flag hoisting ceremony for the Republic of Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran after securing their qualification for the tournament, Khalid Al Mawlawi, Deputy Director-General, Marketing, Communications and Event Experience at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, stressed Qatar’s readiness for the tournament while urging fans to come and enjoy the offering the country has on offer.
“I’d like on behalf of the SC to extend our congratulations to the people of Iran and Korea for qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. I’d like to take this opportunity to extend an open invitation to the whole world to come and enjoy Qatar 2022, where we promise to make history by delivering one of the best-ever events in the FIFA World Cup,” Al Mawlawi said.
The SC official also noted that the Lusail Stadium, which will host the World Cup final, is ready and will be inaugurated soon.
“I’m proud that a year to go to the event, we have officially announced that all our stadiums have been completed and ready. The inauguration is not yet decided, but I’ll say the stadium itself is ready to be inaugurated anytime. It’s a question of the right time to do that, although it is ready. Most of our infrastructure has been completed,” Al Mawlawi added.
Meanwhile, as the 2026 World Cup host nations Canada, the USA, and Mexico edge close to qualification, leading the CONCACAF qualifiers final round, Al Mawlawi said having all three at Qatar 2022 will be unprecedented. It would be an excellent opportunity to highlight Qatar in those countries.
“Having them here in Qatar would be a great opportunity for them to enjoy the experience of being together in one World Cup. I don’t think that has happened before. For us having all three of them, who will host the next World Cup will give us the right exposure in their countries as well as show what we are preparing and trying to deliver,” Al Mawlawi said.
So far, 15 countries, including hosts Qatar, have qualified for the World Cup. FIFA recently announced that more than 1.2 million tickets had been requested by fans worldwide in the first 24 hours of the initial ticket sales period. Fans have ordered over 140,000 tickets for the final and over 80,000 for the opening match.
