The 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup has been in the news for many reasons. With only two matches left in the biggest football tournament, Qatar has managed to successfully deliver this year’s edition, uniting people from different cultures and backgrounds, said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General at Supreme Committee (SC) for Delivery & Legacy and chairman of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. 

“Uniting people, breaking down social barriers, and bridging the gap between East and West are all part of the legacy of staging the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world,” said Thawadi at an event organized by the SC and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The first FIFA World Cup in the Arab world, Qatar 2022, also allowed fans to attend more than one match a day. 

Al Thawadi said that major sporting events have a special ability to spark inspiration, adding, “What we need to do is ensure this spark doesn’t just remain in Qatar – but across the Middle East and around the world.” 

“Our responsibility, no matter who we are, is to take that spark and start planting the seed internationally because we need more opportunities to bring people together as a global community. For me, that’s one of the biggest legacies of this World Cup,” Al Thawadi said.

Encouraged by the success of hosting the World Cup, recent media reports say Qatar is keen to throw its hat into the ring for the 2036 Olympic Games bid.