Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani addressing the Final Draw ceremony for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, at DECC, Doha, yesterday.
Doha: Qatar showcased a glimpse to fans across the globe of the blockbuster FIFA World Cup the country will host later this year by staging a glittering Final Draw ceremony at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center yesterday.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed 2,000 guests at the ceremony, which included many dignitaries, football officials, coaches and players as teams found their groups for the first FIFA showpiece event to be staged in the Middle East and the Arab world.
“I welcome you all on the occasion marking the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” the Amir said yesterday.
“This tournament will be the first major event that unites the world in the aftermath of the pandemic that has taken its toll on the world for more than two years. I feel proud and happy from now until the moment the world will see that we in Qatar will present an exceptional World Cup in the Arab world, as we had promised,” he said.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during the Final Draw ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, yesterday. Also seen is FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“As a fan and sportsman, I am looking forward to enjoy with all of you this great event and its special atmospheres, since we are aware that the impact of such sports events is not confined only to fun, but rather goes beyond that to a lofty and higher stages that lead us to rapprochement and mutual acquaintance between the peoples of the world. I wish you all the success and the best of luck to the teams that qualified for the World Cup,” he added.
Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani and other dignitaries during the event.
Expressing his delight, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Qatar will unite the world with the hosting of the World Cup.
“What an emotion it is to be here. Now we know that it is for real and that’s why I wish you all welcome for the draw of Qatar 2022,” the FIFA chief said during his speech.
“This World Cup will simply be the best World Cup ever. The World will be united in Qatar. My first thanks goes to the people of Qatar, to the people of Gulf and the people of Arab,” he added.
“This will be the World of unity and the World Cup of Peace.”
Hosts Qatar were drawn in Group A with the Netherlands, Ecuador and African champions Senegal. The Asian champions will open the tournament with a match against Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium on November 21.
Twenty-nine teams knew their path to the final while the remaining eight will fight for the last three spots at the play-offs in June.
It was a stunning ceremony, which was presented by award-winning actor Idris Elba and broadcaster Reshmin Chowdhury.
The draw assistants were FIFA World Cup champions Cafu and Lothar Matthaus, alongside football legends Adel Ahmed MalAllah, Ali Daei, Bora Milutinovic, Jay-Jay Okocha, Rabah Madjer and Tim Cahill.
They were supported by a conducting team comprised of FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Carli Lloyd, football pundit and former England player Jermaine Jenas, and British-Jamaican sports presenter Samantha Johnson.
Qatari and Arab culture were showcased throughout the ceremony, while the official mascot and the first single from the official soundtrack were both unveiled.
The official mascot, La’eeb, visited the ceremony from the mascot-verse. The stunning animated film presented a fictional narrative of football’s origins; one that indicates football is a form of knowledge handed down to humans from the mascot-verse — a reality parallel to ours where all mascots come from, allowing the audience to know more about a plane of reality that humans created with their thoughts and dreams.
Subsequently, the Qatar 2022 official soundtrack was performed. Called ‘Hayya Hayya (Better Together)’, the song features Qatari artist Aisha, Davido and rising star Trinidad Cardona. The show then included a distinctly Qatari performance titled ‘The Voyage of Fijiri’, an audio-visual live performance of the traditional art of Fijiri that took the audience on a journey to explore the origins of the art, infused with a modern, electronic musical twist. The segment featured visual graphics of iconic buildings around the world.
Sherihan, one of the Arab world’s most well-known actresses and performers, delivered an impromptu, poignant and motivational speech that paid tribute to the humanistic values of sportsmanship that football inspires. Dresses worn by the female presenters were designed by Qatari designer Wadha Al Hajri, who launched the label ‘Wadha’ in 2010.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Final Draw, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, said Qatar will host a special tournament. He said Qatar is well capable of hosting a special edition, thanks to its culture and good preparation ahead of the competition. He said the competition will reflect the Qatari people’s special culture and heritage.
