Baher Amin / The Peninsula
Qatar yesterday connected with football fans around the globe in style when it launched the official emblem of the 2022 FIFA World Cup simultaneously in 23 countries.
The specially designed emblem — with swooping curves to depict 8 stadiums to be used during the 2022 event — was launched around the world as fans in several major cities watched the unveiling on digital screens.
Fans in Doha joined football enthusiasts in New York, Madrid, Seoul, Johannesburg, Moscow, Mexico City, Mumbai, Berlin, Paris, London and Sao Paulo and in 10 districts across Turkey to get a glimpse of the emblem that features elements of Arab culture and their love with the sport.
At 20:22 hours in Doha last night, screens installed at Katara amphitheater, Souq Waqif, Doha Tower, UNESCO World Heritage site Zubarah Fort and Ministry of Interior building revealed the emblem for the first time.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani later posted a celebratory tweet to mark the occasion in Qatar’s journey towards hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Last night’s emblem reveal came two months after Qatar inaugurated the 40,000-seater Al Janoub Stadium, one of eight venues to be used during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In May 2017, Qatar inaugurated the iconic Khalifa International Stadium, five years ahead of schedule.
beIN Sports’ free to air channel, news channel as well as channels from HD 1 to HD 7 last night produced special live broadcasts from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India and Brazil besides managing live feeds from five locations in Doha.
Fans in Kuwait, Oman, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco also joined in the fun as digital screens flashed the look of the official emblem for the first time.
The number eight in the emblem symbolises the number of stadiums Qatar will use to host the 32-team tournament.
The Khalifa International Stadium, which was redeveloped and renovated in 2017, is the only venue not built from scratch. All other venues namely Al Bayt, Al Rayyan, Al Thumama, Education City, Lusail and Ras Abu Aboud are brand new venues.
The spectacular fanar lantern‑inspired Lusail Stadium will host the opening match on November 21 as well as the final on December 18, 2022.
The emblem was inspired by traditional woollen shawls worn during the winter months, when the FIFA World Cup 2022 will take place, in Qatar. Like football, the shawls’ popularity reflects a unifying force, woven into the everyday fabric of people’s lives in the Arab world.
The typeface of the emblem celebrates Qatar’s heritage with a global twist. It brings traditional Arabic calligraphy into dialogue with other global languages through the integration of elements like the kasheeda, a lengthening of the line connecting letters to enhance the flow and elegance of the written word.
Popular football figure Arsene Wenger said in a TV interview after the emblem launch: “The World Cup in Qatar will be unique. It will be a new experience for the fans. Organisation will be no problem for Qatar.
Preparations are on-going and magnificent. The only thing that remains to be seen how they build their team (for the 2022 World Cup). They are doing well. They won the Asian Cup.”
Qatar’s preparations so far include a state-of-the-art metro system that connects the entire country and the construction of hundreds of hotels to accommodate the visiting fans during the November 21 to December 28 tournament, the first one to be held in the Arab world.
