On 21 November 2022, the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab World will begin as the world’s best national teams meet in Qatar. The tournament will be like no other, offering fans the opportunity to discover the culture of the host country, and the chance to attend more than one match per day during the group stage.

“We will enjoy being all together in one place,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “Fans will be treated to top-class football in eight state-of-the art stadiums. We are looking forward to the opportunity to bring people from different backgrounds together.

“What I see here is a country that is preparing to welcome the whole world, and every fan, but also looking into where improvements are needed and taking real steps to do so in many different areas, particularly in relation to human rights and workers’ welfare.”

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ will kick off at the stunning Al Bayt Stadium, which will be inaugurated just in a few days’ time when Qatar face Bahrain in the opening match of the Fifa World Cup 2022. On the same day, the innovative Stadium 974 (Ras Abu Aboud) Stadium will also open its doors for the first time, leaving only one of the eight FIFA World Cup arenas – Lusail Stadium, the venue for the final – to be inaugurated early next year.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the one-year-to-go milestone. We are on track to deliver a tournament that will set new benchmarks for social, human, economic and environmental development, a tournament that will forever be remembered as innovative, sustainable and transformative, when people came from all over the world to visit the Middle East and Arab world for the first time and have life-changing experiences,” added HE Hassan Al-Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

“This is a unique and special moment for Qatar as the host country. After 11 years of hard work and lasting progress, we are well on the way towards delivering the first World Cup in our region, one that will leave a profound legacy for Qatar, the region and the entire world.”