Qatar is set to make history as the FIFA World Cup – the first-ever football showpiece in the Middle East and Arab world – kicks off at the Al Bayt Stadium, today.
H H The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will inaugurate the opening ceremony before hosts Qatar take on Ecuador in the inaugural match at the packed 60,000-seater venue at 7pm.
Thousands of fans celebrated on the eve of the historic day all across the country with Qatar ready to deliver the promise of staging the best-ever edition of the tournament. Qatar made widespread preparations to host the greatest show on Earth since winning the right to host the mega event in 2010, completing state-of-the-art infrastructure with an unprecedented pace.
Eight world class stadiums and training facilities have already welcomed all the 32 competing countries with superstars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar in town seeking glory in Qatar. With more than 1.5 million fans due to travel to Qatar as official ticket sales stand at 2.95 million, the host country organisers announced their complete readiness long before the kick off. All arrangements including safety protocols and accommodation for the visiting fans were completed, they announced earlier this month.
Qatar 2022 is the most compact version of the tournament in modern history as the longest distance between stadiums is just 75 kilometres. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Qatar 2022 is set to be the best World Cup edition ever.
“It’s the most compact World Cup with not much travelling involved. The conditions are ideal for teams and fans. It is the first time when fans coming from different countries can unite, that’s what makes it unique (World Cup),” Infantino told a crowded press conference on the eve of the tournament.
“We have always said that Qatar will deliver the best-ever edition of the FIFA World Cup. And as you look around the country today, at the state-of-the-art stadiums, the training pitches, the metro, the wider infrastructure, everything is ready and everyone is welcome,” he said.
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) said the feeling just before the kick off was indescribable.
“Everybody asks me what my feelings are and I cannot describe. Honestly, it’s very difficult to describe the feeling. Excitement, stress, anxiety, happiness and euphoria all of them put together,” he told reporters on the sidelines of Walk the Talk Doha 2022, yesterday.
Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez said Al Annabi will do their best to win against Ecuador on their World Cup debut to double the joy for people of the country.
“It’s an important and historic day for Qatar,” Sanchez told a pre-match press conference yesterday. “We’ll bring our ‘A’ game and play our football, and try to bring joy… We know that it will be a great challenge for us but we’re very eager to play this match and are very happy to be here,” he added.
Fans, which have already arrived in Qatar, are living their dream with entertainment activities underway in different parts of the country. It’s just the beginning as more than 90 entertainment activities across the country are being arranged on the sidelines of the 29-day football fiesta, with the final scheduled on December 18 – the Qatar National Day. Meanwhile, the teams are expressing their content with facilities in Qatar.
“The training pitch we have could not be any better,” said Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal.
“The hotel and organisation has been fantastic and I am really looking forward to the tournament,” he said. Welshman Mark Harris said after training at Al Sadd Sports Club: “Really nice hotel, the training facilities are great. We got a gym close to the pitch which is unbelievable.”
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