Qatar to host FIFA World Cup™ prelude

Article posted by Coliseum, June 30^th, 2020

Image: QFA

A warm-up pan-Arab tournament will be played in Qatar in late 2021, which will act as a prelude to the FIFA World Cup™ 2022, which is scheduled to kick off on November 21, 2022.

The announcement was made by the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and FIFA recently.

The proposal of the whole tournament was presented via video conference to FIFA Council members by HE Hassan al-Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and Chairman of the FIFA World Cup™ Qatar 2022 LLC (Q22). The FIFA Council has greenlighted the formation of the competition.

The 22-team invitational tournament for men’s national teams will be contested by Arab nations from Africa and Asia. It will be played outside the International Match Calendar. The tournament, which will be held in Qatar from December 1-18, 2021, will be delivered by Q22 and will allow the organizers to utilize facilities and run operations that are also planned for the subsequent FIFA World Cup™ 2022.

Established in 2011 by the State of Qatar, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is responsible for the delivery of the required infrastructure and host country planning and operations for Qatar to host an amazing and historic FIFA World Cup™ 2022.

The time slot for the tournament will be similar to the FIFA World Cup™ 2022, with the final taking place exactly one year before the Qatar 2022 final is scheduled to kick-off. All the fixtures will be played at Qatar 2022 stadia. Apart from employing Qatar 2022 stadiums and training sites, the tournament will provide a platform for fans, players and officials to use host country facilities, including transport and lodging.

Commented the President of Qatar Football Association, HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad al-Thani, “This is an exciting moment for Qatar and football fans across the region and around the world. This new pan-Arab tournament will see teams from across the region go head-to-head in state-of-the-art FIFA World Cup™ venues and allow teams and fans to experience Qatar as a tournament host country. This tournament marks an important footballing milestone for the country and the region, and everyone involved in delivering it will gain more essential experience ahead of the Qatar World Cup.”

Al-Thawadi added, “This exciting tournament will act as a perfect preparatory event for Qatar ahead of the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab world. Qatar has hosted many events since it was awarded the World Cup hosting rights back in 2010, but this will be our biggest yet and it will prove essential in utilizing facilities and services ahead of 2022. The tournament is also being held at exactly the same time as the World Cup, meaning fans, players and officials will get a taste of what’s to come in 2022.”

“The creation of this pan-Arab tournament reinforces our longstanding commitment that the FIFA World Cup™ 2022 will be a tournament that benefits the entire Arab world, one that showcases the beauty of the region and the immense passion that exists for the game.”

Full details of tournament participants, along with the match schedule, will be shared in due course. The delivery of the event will be led by Q22 staff, supported by the Qatar Football Association, FIFA and the SC.

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