Qatar opened their sixth tournament-ready venue, Al Thumama Stadium, on Friday just before the 2021 Amir Cup final played between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan.
Al Sadd, managed by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, managed to defeat Laurent Blanc-coached Al Rayyan on penalties after the match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. The inauguration ceremony was attended by His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar. FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also present during the match.
Nasser Al Khater, CEO of the 2022 World Cup, suggested that with 13 months to go for the grand tournament, Qatar are on track to complete their remaining two stadiums well ahead of time.
What did Nasser Al Khater say?
"We've got 13 months to go until the World Cup. We've got a month to go until we host the FIFA Arab Cup (later this year). It's been a busy 10 years and is only getting busier, every single day counts right now. So we have inaugurated Al Thumama Stadium which is the sixth stadium ready for the World Cup. Two of our stadiums that are remaining will be completed by the end of the year. We are also going to see the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium inaugurated during the FIFA Arab Cup."
The high-ranking Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) official also mentioned that majority of the Qataris are fully vaccinated so they are confident that the World Cup will be held in full capacity stadiums.
"The majority of the population of Qatar is vaccinated - over 85 per cent are vaccinated. Cases are quite low now so we are very confident that we will be able to host matches at full capacity going forward.
"We would like to congratulate the national team of Germany and Denmark and their fans for qualifying (for the World Cup) to join hosts Qatar and we look forward to the next qualifier rounds and we expect around nine teams to qualify next month. We are looking forward to welcoming them as well," said Al Khater.
Al Khater assured that fans from around the globe will have an incredible experience when they visit Qatar for the World Cup. With all stadiums located very close to each other, travelling to matches will be easy for the fans and they will be able to watch more than one game in a day. Al Khater also stressed on Qatar's natural and cultural attractions which will entertain visiting fans.
"In terms of fan experience, Qatar has put a lot of effort into making sure that the fan experience is exceptional. The mere fact that the stadiums are in close proximity, all the fans will stay in pretty much one city already goes a long way in making the fan experience very special. But also around the central parts of Doha, I think the fans are in for a big surprise. The nature of the country with the sea on three sides of the beautiful peninsula, it is going to be a hotspot for fans. There will be a lot of cultural attractions as well as entertainment."
Al Khater also spoke about how safe Qatar is as a country and fans have absolutely no reason to worry about anything during the 2022 World Cup.
"I want to assure the fans that Qatar is among the top 20 safe countries in the world. It's the safest country in the middle east. The fans can be rest assured that security is of utmost importance to the state of Qatar and we will make sure that the fans have a safe World Cup," claimed Al Khater.