Doha, November 20 (QNA) - With numbers exceeded all expectations, the State of Qatar organized the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18, 2022. It was the first country in the Middle East to host a big event like the World Cup.

Although holding the World Cup in an Arab country sounded like a dream to the Arab fans, Qatar turned the dream into a reality and a unique event that will remain in the memory of Arab sports.

The State of Qatar sent a clear message to the world that the Arab region is rich with creativity and its people are full of passion for sports in general and football in particular, and proved this by organizing the best and most distinguished editions of the World Cup in history, promoting the dissemination of the game's culture and expanding its base according to the statistics of the International Football Federation.

The World Cup saw 64 matches over the course of a full month during which the region spoke the language of football. The matches were hosted in eight new stadiums that were built specifically for the major sporting event several years before its launch date, namely: Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium, Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, 974 Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, and Lusail Stadium.

The eight stadiums are architectural masterpieces in which Qatar present engineering creativity after they were models at the time of submitting bid in 2009. They were transformed into reality before receiving the fans of the world during the tournament's days last year and gained everyone's praise. Their pictures topped the press in Europe, South America, Africa and Asia as architectural masterpieces that express Qatari identity and Arab symbolism.

Qatar fulfilled its promises to the world by organizing a historic edition in which the goals and principles of the FIFA were met in making football a bridge of communication between peoples, sharing the fans' passion for the matches and the players and sharing its moments with all their feelings of joy.

It excelled in holding the largest sporting events in a dazzlingly beautiful manner in terms of organization, planning, care for fans, and meeting all the requirements that allow international football fans of different age groups to enjoy watching the game, starting with obtaining permission to enter the country, moving between stadiums, entering them smoothly and leaving them in a safe and easy manner.

The State of Qatar used the latest methods for the movement of fans to and from the stadiums via the finest means of transportation (the Doha Metro). It also employed all the capabilities to serve the event and the stadiumgoers, including fans and game lovers from all segments of society, and implemented laws that allow them to encourage and express their love for their teams and present their cultures without objection or challenge to feelings and cultures.

The World Cup in Qatar was distinguished by the absence of any incidents of riots or public confrontations compared to previous World Cups and European competitions which witnessed many cases of violence between fans of competing teams as well as irregular behaviors to the spirit of sports, thanks to the high organizational control over the tournament's activities and the allocation of special areas for fans of each team, in addition to a separate area for all fans so that the tournament takes on an elegant competitive form between fans and fans of different teams, coupled with excellent, quick service provided by volunteers in the tournament who were trained well on dealing with fans and providing services to them.

Qatar marked the event's organization by placing the Qatari cultural legacies, customs and traditions that preserve women's freedom to interact with sports, place them in the highest levels of appreciation and respect, and make them feel comfortable when going to the stadiums and watching the tournament. Women did not face any kind of harassment in the stadiums during the tournament, making it the best World Cup suitable for women and families.

 

Photos of the matches documented by the files of the FIFA and international television stations showed a remarkable presence of female fans and families from all countries of the world. Millions of people saw the noticeable presence of the families of players in the stadiums. The Moroccan national team's matches also featured players celebrating with their families, and mothers appeared on the field for the first time, which is an appreciation and tribute to the mothers of athletes. No edition of the World Cup has witnessed the appearance of the mother of any of the players on the field.

In addition to the appearance of the families of the Argentine players and their children on the field to celebrate the coronation at the end of the ceremony, celebrating the third title in the history of their country, in a positive scene that places the Qatar World Cup in a new description that gives it the status of respect and appreciation.

Moreover, Qatar has introduced the world to a new culture in organizing events, represented by high control in terms of safety, security and safety of tournaments, the use of technology to serve sports and dealing with the event in a healthy environment with utmost medical services provided by the mobile ambulance medical units in all stadiums in anticipation of any situation, something that was not applied previously.

According to the experiences of fans from various countries of the world, the World Cup in Qatar had a different character, through which the fans have learned about the Arab region and the diversity and convergence of many legacies. This was documented by the FIFA as an eloquent message of peace and coexistence that bridges the distances between peoples, and gives a distinctive character that enhances the value of the presence in the State of Qatar.

Qatar did not forget the humanitarian aspect. It depicted the East-West dialogue at the opening ceremony of the World Cup through several messages, from the Al-Bayt Stadium, which conveyed a bright picture of the Arab community and how it embraces the world with a precise definition of the value of coexistence and peace, in addition to the outstanding welcome of the people of Qatar all colors of the global spectrum in the stadiums.

The twenty-second edition of the World Cup tournaments provided a new difficult to replicate experience for fans, by allowing those who wish to follow more than one match per day, which was not possible previously. This was due to the proximity of the stadiums to each other and the ease of access and movement from them, which gave the fans a unique experience.

The Qatari edition took into account all segments of society in the stadiums, including those with special needs, and those with limited hearing or visually impaired blind, and provided them with the latest means to enable them follow and enjoy the matches with ease.

In the Qatar edition, the FIFA applied the latest technologies to combat racism and protect players from any insults through social media, by launching a special application that enables the FIFA to follow the posts published after and before each match, in order to protect the athletes.

Despite the world's skepticisms about the idea of holding the tournament in the Arab region, Qatar organized a successful edition that exceeded all expectations. That was clearly evident by the two time World Cup winner football legend Roberto Carlos, when he told QNA earlier that the World Cup Qatar will cause a lot of pressure. (QNA)