A host of international icons have joined forces to launch ‘Football Unites the World’, a campaign illustrating football’s unrivalled ability to bring people together that will run throughout the FIFA World Cup.
Hassan Al-Haydos, Alisson Becker, Karim Benzema, Lucy Bronze, Didier Drogba, Giulia Gwinn, Kaká, Robert Lewandowski, Carli Lloyd, Édouard Mendy, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Emmanuel Petit and Cristiano Ronaldo have all contributed to the launch videos which highlight the hope, joy and passion that are hallmarks of the most global sport ahead of a tournament that will be followed by more than five billion people worldwide.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Football brings people together like nothing else and the FIFA World Cup will be a celebration of that unity and passion for the game we love so much.”
Under the umbrella of ‘Football Unites the World’, FIFA will team up with a range of international partners and organizations to promote and highlight causes such as anti-discrimination, sustainability, and education during the FIFA World Cup.
“Although football is and should be our main focus, the FIFA World Cup is also about values and causes that extend far beyond the pitch and we are delighted that football stars past and present have joined us to promote and highlight these topics, which also unite the whole world.
“The campaign is there to celebrate football and the players have provided us with the ideal kick-off, but our sport is also about the fans. In this way, we want them to be part of the global celebration, and that is why we are inviting fans from all over the world to show their passion for football on social media, and by that give the example of how football unites the world”.
Gianni Infantino
FIFA will select some of the best images and will display them during the FIFA World Cup which begins on Sunday, 20th November, 2022 when Qatar takes on Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium, and concludes with the final at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday, 18th December, 2022 which is also Qatar’s National Day.
First World Cup In the Arab World
This will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world and the second World Cup held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. In addition, the tournament is scheduled to be the last with a 32-team field; the field is slated to increase to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Due to Qatar’s intense summer heat and humidity, this World Cup will be held from Late-November to mid-December, making it the first tournament not to be held in May, June, or July. It will take place in the northern autumn and will be played in a reduced timeframe of around 29 days.
Of the 32 nations qualified to play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 24 countries competed at the previous tournament in 2018.
Qatar is the only team making its debut in the FIFA World Cup, becoming the first hosts to make its tournament debut since Italy in 1934. As a result, the 2022 tournament is the first World Cup in which none of the teams that earned a spot through qualification will be making its debut. The Netherlands, Ecuador, Ghana, Cameroon and the United States returned to the tournament after missing the 2018 tournament.
Canada returned after 36 years, its only prior appearance was in 1986. Wales made its first appearance in 64 years – a record gap for a European team, its only previous participation was in 1958.
The reigning World Cup champion, France, still remains one of the favorites alongside Brazil, Argentina and Germany.
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