Sport has a unique power to bring people together and Qatar is adding many feathers in its cap by hosting several sport events in the run up to 2022 Cup and beyond.
In yet another milestone, FIFA confirmed that this year’s Club World Cup will kick off on December 11, with the champions being crowned on December 21. The dates of the tournament taking place in Qatar were announced by the Bureau of the FIFA Council.
In its current format featuring seven teams, the FIFA Club World Cup will again consist of eight matches, with the draw that will determine the pairings for the second-round matches and the semi-finals taking place at the Home of FIFA in Zurich on
September 16.
Three participants have already been confirmed: CF Monterrey from Mexico, Hienghene Sport from New Caledonia and Liverpool FC from England. The club representing hosts Qatar will depend on the outcome of the ongoing AFC Champions League.
If a team from Qatar are the AFC champions, they will qualify directly for the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019, with the AFC runners-up playing the opening match against Hienghene Sport. If the AFC Champions League winners are not a club from Qatar, then the current holders of the Qatar Stars League title, Al Sadd SC, will play the opening match against Hienghene Sport on
December 11.
Qatar hosts close to 80 sporting events and world-class competitions across a multitude of sporting disciplines annually. It is the first Middle Eastern country to earn the rights to host the World Championships in Athletics (2019) and the FINA World Swimming Championships (2023). Also, the World Corporate Games 2019, will be held for the first time in the Middle East in Doha, Qatar. Taking place between November 6-9, 2019, the event expected to attract around 8,000 international and local participants and will include 24 different sports.
Qatar’s great preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is winning praise on all fronts.
After winning the rights to host the 2022 World Cup at a historic FIFA vote in Zurich, Qatar has gone about fulfilling its promises at a rapid pace and without a pause. Qatar has spent billions of dollars to link up the country’s football stadiums with the most modern metro network. The Hamad International Airport has increased capacity to handle the rising numbers of passengers. Ashghal too is expanding Qatar’s road networks.
Work continues to lay new road networks and bridges.
The hosting of sport events further strengthens Qatar’s position globally and reflects the international community’s confidence in the Qatari talent of organising international events.
