Doha: From dream to reality, Qatar has hosted an exceptional FIFA World Cup which will remain firmly rooted in the minds of the world for generations to come. It has set a legacy and new standard for future hosts.
For Qatar, the tournament represents more than a month of football matches as the country has ensured that FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 leaves a transformational social, human, economic and environmental legacy.
“The next World Cup will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada, while the inauguration of the tournament will be held in Mexico City. The legacy of Qatar is very important for us,” Executive Director of Public Diplomacy, Mexico Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Coordinator-General of the Mexican Strategy for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Alfonso Zegbe told The Peninsula in an interview.
“We already have ongoing work with the US and Canada. In everything we have to do it together,” he said hinting at a potential to implement a feature similar to the Hayya Card during FIFA World Cup 2026.
The use of technology and AI played a key role in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and that is a potential feature for future hosts to take forward.
“We take many lessons. The innovation and technology that we see here (in Qatar), is a lesson we take,” said Zegbe.
He also said that although the next FIFA World Cup will be held in a different format, security and cyber systems implemented in Qatar are also lessons to be taken forward. “…All that is a legacy that we have to consider for the next one,” said Zegbe.
In terms of relations between Qatar and Mexico, the public diplomacy promoted during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and people-to-people relations are part of the legacy to take forward, according to Zegbe.
“This (World Cup) is a very good example of Mexican public diplomacy and strengthens ties with Qatar. That is something very important for us and also for the Qatar government to work on an agenda to make a strategic partnership between both countries,” he said.
“With a big number of Mexican fans been here, we are establishing a bridge, a common understanding about culture and traditions between our people. That is a very unique opportunity. The result of this will be a closer tie, a strengthened one, and a deeper relation between Mexico and Qatar to continue working on a strategic agenda,” he added.
Also, lessons behind the success of Qatar in making the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 accessible for persons with disabilities are to be shared and applied during the next tournament in 2026.
“In terms of for the next tournament that will be in North America, US, Canada and Mexico, there are a number of lessons I think, that will go forward that are really important,” Accessibility and Inclusivity Strategist at Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Mark Dyer has said in a recent interview with The Peninsula.
He said that the accessibility facilities made inside, and outside stadiums and the numbers of seats allocated for fans with disabilities are the main lessons to be taken forward during the next tournament.
As part of the country’s efforts to ensure the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has a lasting social impact, beyond the tournament, Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, SC, and its human and social legacy programme, Generation Amazing Foundation have announced that 27 tents, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects to serve and support displaced populations, will be donated to the International Organisation of Migration and Qatar Red Crescent.
“These vital structures will showcase the legacy of the first FIFA World Cup in our region. From day one, our goal has been to deliver a tournament that would benefit Qatar, the region and the world,” said Director General at SC, Eng. Yasir Al Jamal.
“This project highlights the power of the World Cup by helping vulnerable communities long after the final whistle and complements our already successful Generation Amazing Foundation, a football for development legacy initiative which has provided safe spaces and reconstructed football pitches for communities in need globally, positively impacting the lives of more than 1 million people over the past 10 years. We are proud that Generation Amazing will continue to inspire and serve communities through football well into the future,” Al Jamal said on Saturday.
