Doha, 25 November 2020 - FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the Lusail Stadium, venue for the final of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, on Tuesday.
On the occasion, he stressed that Qatar is shaping up ahead of time to host the ‘best-ever World Cup’.
While speaking to the local media after a tour of the Lusail Stadium, Infantino opining on the important role of the media during the 2022 World Cup, he said, “The people who will come to Qatar will try to explore the country and get to know it. Here is the role of the media in presenting an image of the host country. The truth is that there are unfortunately those who have prejudices, and we must make them see things from a different angle.”
The FIFA chief said Qatar is an open country. “The security element here is very special. Qatar is a safe country. The people who will visit the country will get to see the legendary Qatari hospitality,” Infantino said.
“The media should open people’s eyes to the positive aspects to help strengthen Qatar, but I will say the entire region, and I know that there are pending issues, but I hope that they disappear sooner rather than later.
“We are here for sports and not politics,” he said, adding that “The spotlight is on Qatar, and the World Cup is a way to promote the positive aspects, and therefore the positive aspects must be focused here and the world will listen and watch that.”
Regarding the ability of fans to come to Qatar from all over the world, including the Gulf region, the FIFA chief said, “All people should be able to attend, be present and celebrate the largest football event in the world. Politics should remain as it is a policy far from sports, and I hope that the outstanding problems in the region will be solved, and people should be given the opportunity to enjoy the World Cup in the region and I am confident that everyone in the Gulf region will celebrate the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.”
He touched on the Arab national teams’ championship that will be held in Qatar.
“A year before the 2022 World Cup, there will be a new tournament that will be held for the first time. And it is different from the Confederations Cup. I would like to thank all the 22 Arab countries. The championship will be held in the World Cup stadiums and it will bring together Arabs from Yemen to Morocco,” he said.
The FIFA chief said, “As president, I feel very proud and enthusiastic about the efforts made to organise various tournaments. I thank Qatar for that.”
Infantino said he is happy with the efforts being made to facilitate public entry, visa process, especially for the people of Africa.
On linking politics with sport, he said, “Politics should not be mixed with football, and we will do everything in our power to keep this distinction aside and allow people to enjoy their teams and tournaments.”
On the expected revenues from the World Cup, he said, “The matter will be slightly higher than the last World Cup in Russia, and it may reach about six and a half billion US dollars.”
When asked whether this World Cup will produce a new champion, he said, “There is no doubt that European teams winning World Cups in the last 20 years was not a coincidence. They worked in a very big way, they have succeeded in winning the championship during the last four editions, and as FIFA president I hope that there will be a global diversity for the champions.”
He added, “In the 2022 World Cup, something will be different from all previous tournaments, which is that the tournament will be held in the month of November, and this means the beginning of a season for the players, not the end of it, and therefore players will be in great readiness.”
Infantino praised Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 World Cup, saying, “I can go on vacation before a big event like the World Cup, which I have not done in my life in the last 25 years, because what you are doing is amazing. Things are prepared professionally. And if Qatar decides to do something, it does it best.”
The FIFA chief said, “I extend my thanks and gratitude on behalf of the football family to the Qatari leadership, in the forefront of which is His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar and all those responsible and everyone who works on preparations for the World Cup at all levels. I know that the 2022 World Cup will be the best, and I am sure that people in Arab countries and the world will feel a lot during the 2022 World Cup and this prompts us to work together to achieve that success.”
