At the Qatar @roadto2022 Exhibition, currently being held at JK Iguatemi mall in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a set of crowdsourced photographs highlights Qatar’s passion for the beautiful game and the strong grassroots football culture in the next FIFA World Cup host nation.
The photographs are the result of a collaboration between the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure and legacy programmes for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and UK-based Goal Click.
Participants in the project, including those working to deliver the FIFA World Cup, community leaders, photographers, football fans and others, were each given a single disposable camera that offered just 27 chances to take the perfect picture. The brief for each photographer was simple: "capture football in Qatar as you see it". 
"And the results – glorious in their imperfections – are a reminder of what football means to the people of Qatar and how it helps unite one of the most diverse countries in the world," sc.qa reports.
The exhibition, organised jointly by the SC and Qatar Football Association, is located on the third floor of JK Iguatemi mall and is open from 10am to 10pm until June 24.

* Location: Al Aziziyah
Photographer: Maha al-Badr




“This photo was taken in our neighbourhood park and shows my cousins and their friends playing football. I took this photo because it represents Qatari culture and shows how much we love football. Football is the only game that we all know and enjoy playing – it doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or boy, kid or adult, football can be played anytime, anywhere,” al-Badr said. 

* Location: Matar Qadeem
Photographer: Geraldine Menezes 

“I noticed this boy kicking a ball while I was driving. It turned out he was on his way to the playground for a game. I stopped the car for a few minutes to get the shot. He was happy to have his picture taken,” Menezes said.

* Location: Barwa City
Photographer: Hanson Joseph

“This area is located opposite Barwa City, where thousands of people live. Every Friday people come here to play sport. Cricket used to dominate this area, as many of the residents are natives of India, where the sport is very popular, but over the years more and more people have started playing football,” Joseph said.

* Location: Katara Amphitheatre
Photographer: Yezenia Navarro

“I’ve seen multiple shows and performances at this majestic venue, including opera and ballet. I’ve never seen football there – but this is one of the most beautiful places in Qatar and I wanted to bring football to Katara in order to show this place to the world,” Navarro said.

* Location: Lusail Stadium – the venue for the opening match and final during Qatar 2022
Photographer: Tamim El Abed


“Imagine emerging into this arena when it’s complete -– the arena that one day will host the World Cup final. It’s amazing to think that this place will be the focus of the world’s attention in just over three years’ time,” El Abed said.

* Location: Fuwairit Beach
Photographer: Junko Mori

“Some Qatari children were playing barefoot on a beach in the northern part of Qatar. It looked so much fun so I asked to join in. I’m Japanese and I don’t speak Arabic – but football united us. It was a lovely feeling,” Mori said.

* Location: Al Wakrah School
Photographer: Hamad Mohamed Abdulaziz


“This was during a Generation Amazing event in Al Wakrah – where we had just delivered a session about inclusivity. Two of the students were challenging for the ball. You may not notice but one of the boys has a disability. The message here is that football offers a level playing field. It can help everyone to feel confident,” Abdulaziz said.
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