Wednesday 27 / November / 2024
DOHA: Even before the FIFA World Cup trophy was decided on Sunday, Qatar 2022 was already a tournament of triumphs.
It marked the first time that football's flagship event has been held in the Middle East and the first time that an African or Arab team made it to the semifinals. It was a World Cup were legends departed and new ones were born.
It was a tournament of surprises: in which the mighty fell and some of the lesser-fancied teams proved that - with skill, determination and plenty of heart - dreams can come true. Perhaps most of all, this World Cup will be remembered for bringing together the world in a spirit of harmony and respect, a reminder of sport's transcending qualities.
In addition to being the first World Cup held in an Arab country this was the first time that all eight host cities were located within 100km of one another. This allowed people from different cultures to interact like never before while facilitating travel for teams, fans, officials and media.
"I have to admit that ... we were worried about having so many fans from so many countries, at the same time, in the same place," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in an interview before the quarterfinals.
"In a normal World Cup, you have in one city, fans of two countries, not more. Here, you have 32 countries plus all [the] other fans from the world who come to enjoy the World Cup together in the same place."
According to Infantino, the month-long extravaganza has left a legacy that extends far beyond the sporting arena.
"Football [has] reinforced its unique cohesive power by uniting the world in a spirit of peace and friendship," he said. "For me the World Cup has been a real incredible success on all fronts. The main one... bringing people together, meeting the Arab world, is very important for the future of all of us."
The success of the tournament helped deliver record revenue of 7.5 billion U.S. dollars from commercial deals over the four-year World Cup cycle, 1 billion dollars more than budgeted.
The figure for the 2022-26 cycle is expected to reach 11 billion dollars, of which 9.7 billion has been earmarked for football investment.
This has allowed the FIFA Council to approve the allocation of 200 million dollars over the next four years for the Arsene Wenger-led Talent Development Scheme (TDS). The initiative aims to create a sustainable legacy for long-term player development by helping each member association (MA) reach its full potential, FIFA said.
On the pitch, the World Cup has been an unequivocal success, boosted by a schedule that allowed players to enter the tournament fresher.
"When the World Cup is held in June, the players can be tired because their seasons have just finished," Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning captain, Cafu, said before the tournament.
"By playing in November and December, it's only been a few months since the seasons started, so the players are fresh and can play at a higher standard."
Perhaps more than anything, this World Cup will be remembered as one of major surprises. One in which traditional powerhouses such as Germany, Spain and Brazil, failed to meet their high expectations while others exceeded them.
Morocco were a case in point, stunning the football world by becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals and the first Arab nation to advance beyond the round of 16. Spurred on by fervent support from their fans, the Atlas Lions beat Portugal, Spain and Belgium before falling to runners-up France in the semifinals.
"I think we showed our strength, we showed that African football is prepared to face the top teams in the world with efficiency and playing at the highest level," Morocco manager Walid Regragui told reporters after the team lost 2-1 to Croatia in the third-place playoff on Saturday.
"Through experience you get stronger and I hope we learn and grow and build in our children in Africa a football DNA that lasts. We have now allowed children to dream, dream of being footballers and going to the World Cup. That is priceless. As for the impact in our country, we have set the bar high."
Croatia also punched above their weight by finishing third, four years after they were beaten finalists in Russia.
Qatar 2022 also represented the last hurrah for some of the greatest players the game has seen. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric all played in what is certain to be their final World Cup tournaments.
The sadness of their impending retirements has been tempered by the realization that a promising new generation has emerged in Qatar. Among the rising stars are Argentina duo Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez, England teenager Jude Bellingham, Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos, Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi and Croatia's masked defender Josko Gvardiol.
An appraisal of this tournament could not be complete without praising China. The country may not have qualified for this World Cup, but it was omnipresent in Qatar through its home-grown infrastructure and products.
Lusail Stadium, the state-of-the-art 80,000-seat venue that hosted Sunday's final, was jointly constructed by Qatar and the China Railway Construction Corporation.
"The construction of the Lusail Stadium marked the first time that a Chinese company participated as a main contractor to design and build a professional football venue under the highest FIFA standards," said leading Chinese engineer Li Bai.
"It was also the first time that a Chinese company carried out the design and construction work for a World Cup stadium."
Chinese companies also helped to build the World Cup fan village in Doha and supplied more than 3,000 buses, including 888 electric vehicles.
"That is to say that China's new energy technology has been recognized by the world," said Gan Shaoying, head of Chinese bus maker Yutong's Qatar service team.
Meanwhile, Chinese electrical appliance manufacturer Midea Group provided 2,500 air conditioners for security check centers at competition venues. Machinery giant SANY Group also played its part by delivering nearly 100 pieces of heavy equipment.
China's influence could even be se seen in products such as national flags, ornaments and mementos, around 70% of which were made in the commodity hub of Yiwu.
"The World Cup is a perfect stage for Chinese-made products," said Song Xiangqing, a research fellow at Beijing Normal University. "The popularity of these products is a reflection of Chinese manufacturing entering the global high-end product market.
