Qatar was widely praised after its success in organising the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which was held in November and December last year, making the tournament one of the best history.
During the 73rd FIFA Congress in Kigali, Rwanda yesterday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Rwanda President Paul Kagame and the representatives of football federations were impressed by Qatar’s staging of the football showpiece event, which was the first to be held in the Middle East.
During his opening speech before the FIFA Congress, president Kagame congratulated Qatar on the great success achieved during the World Cup which he described as the best. Congratulating Qatar and the FIFA on organising a successful tournament by all standards, he said the last World Cup was one of the best tournaments that will remain vivid in the minds, and they were proud of what Qatar has accomplished which deserves all respect for what it provided to the game and to the world during that historic hosting.
For his part, FIFA president Infantino affirmed in his speech that the World Cup in Qatar was the best ever, stressing that the tournament was one of the most successful editions in terms of public, technical and organizational aspects, noting that FIFA and Qatar fulfilled the promise they made before the tournament.
Infantino said the last World Cup was watched by more than 5bn viewers around the world, while the tournament was attended by more than 3million fans in the wonderful stadiums that hosted the competitions, and everyone enjoyed the great event. FIFA President added that they had promised to present an exceptional and unique edition of the World Cup in Qatar, noting that there were those who did not believe and questioned what was said. Truly, it was indeed the most successful and best edition, as there were perfect stadiums and excellent infrastructure, and there was nothing disturbing football atmosphere. Thank you Qatar, he said.
Chairman of the FIFA Finance Committee Alejandro Dominguez said the period from 2019 to 2022 saw a record high in terms of financial revenue, amounting to $7.6bn . This was achieved thanks to the Qatar World Cup, he said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino addresses the 73rd FIFA Congress at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Jean Bizimana