Sports
Qatar is harnessing its national passion for sport to break down barriers, increase understanding and drive positive change.
A global sporting capital, Qatar has a long track record of hosting major international sporting events including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
The country also offers unparalleled professional training facilities, sporting infrastructure, and celebrates a vibrant local culture where sport is deeply ingrained.
National Sports Day
Qatar is one of the first countries in the world to celebrate a National Sport Day – a public holiday which embeds sporting values into Qatar’s culture and inspires the population to participate in sports. Held on the second Tuesday of every February, the nation comes together to participate in a day which promotes healthy values that transcend culture and language.
Qatar’s Sporting Heritage and Community
Sport is an integral part of Qatar’s culture and Qatari athletes have competed at the highest levels of international sport, including the Olympics. In the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Tala Abu-Jubara became the first Qatari rower to qualify for the Olympics, and five-time GCC champion Bashayer Almanwari represented Qatar in the 100m.
Also in Tokyo 2020, Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim won gold in the men’s high jump, where he famously shared victory with Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi. Fares El-Bakh became Qatar’s first Olympic gold medallist when he won the Men’s 96kg weightlifting. Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan also secured a bronze medal for Qatar in the men’s beach volleyball, further contributing to Qatar’s sporting success at the event.
Beyond hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Qatar has hosted hundreds of global sporting events such as the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships, the 1988 and 2011 AFC Champions League and the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™
From 20 November to 18 December 2022, the State of Qatar welcomed more than 1.4 million fans from all over the world as part of its successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
This sporting event, held for the first time in an Arab and Islamic country, has witnessed the State of Qatar’s successful achievement by bringing together people in celebration of their common passion for sports.
The stadiums for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 were designed by some of the world’s leading architects, and are some of the most ambitious, visually exciting venues in the world. Each venue was designed to reflect Qatari and Arab culture while prioritising accessibility, comfort, sustainability, and post-tournament legacy use.
While Qatar’s hosting of the tournament will stand as an international achievement, it is only one step on the journey of the country’s sporting accomplishments. Qatar will continue to capitalise on the momentum of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ to further inspire younger generations to become more involved in sports.
FIFA World Cup 2022™ stadiums
The eight FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ stadiums saw 3.4 million fans attend 48 matches during the first 13 days of the tournament. The number of fans who attended the group stage amounted to 2.4 million, equivalent to 94% of overall stadium capacity, while the knockout stage was attended by approximately 1.4 million fans (or equivalent to 96% of the stadiums’ capacity). Thanks to the modular design of stadiums, their geographic proximity, and smart transportation solutions, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ served as the first compact World Cup in the modern era, allowing fans to watch multiple matches in one day.
12 years of continuous work… dedicated to ensuring this tournament leaves truly transformational social, human, economic and environmental legacies to be remembered. We are acutely aware of the spotlight that comes with hosting the greatest show on earth and we have embraced it.