Celebrating social impact and creating legacy
From the volunteers to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Legacy Fund, the 22nd edition of the greatest show on Earth touched the lives of millions – and will continue to do so.
As the tournament drew to a close, FIFA President Gianni Infantino took to the stage at Al Bidda Park to thank those people without whom none of the events of the month-long festival of football would have been possible – the volunteers.
In his address at the volunteer celebration event, President Infantino described the 20,000-strong army of volunteers as the “heart and soul” of the tournament.
“You are the best volunteers ever for the best World Cup ever, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, from all of those who love football, to all of you. You are fantastic,” he told the thousands who had gathered at the FIFA Fan Festival™ for the celebration.
Pointing out that only 20,000 had been selected from the over 400,000 people who had initially applied to become FIFA World Cup volunteers, President Infantino also made it clear that those who had made it were the best of the best.
„You are the best volunteers ever for the best World Cup ever, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.“
“Congratulations,” he said. “You are the heart and soul of the World Cup and, most importantly, you are the face and the smile of the World Cup. You are the first person that people see when they come to this fantastic World Cup, and the last person they see when they leave. Your smile is making this World Cup what it is, which is the best ever.”
Volunteers were at the heart of the tournament’s operations, providing support across a wide variety of sites such as stadiums, training sites, airports, fan zones, hotels and metro stations. They are always regarded as essential to the joyful atmosphere of any FIFA World Cup.
International Volunteers Day
Alongside the event at Al Bidda Park, and to celebrate International Volunteer Day on 5 December 2022, tournament organisers paid tribute to the volunteers during the Japan v. Croatia and Brazil v. Korea Republic matches at Al Janoub Stadium and Stadium 974 respectively.
In addition, volunteers were able to pose with the FIFA World Cup 2022 Winner’s Trophy at the volunteer hub located in the Doha Exhibition Centre for a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity. Workforce and Administration Director for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC Rasha Al Qarni said, “We are so proud of all our volunteers. Their generous spirit can be felt in the positive atmosphere around the city and I’m certain their impact will create a lasting legacy for the culture of volunteering in the region.”
A Day in the Life of a volunteer
To truly understand the volunteer experience first-hand, French 1998 FIFA World Cup™ winner Marcel Desailly, former Manchester City and Ivorian superstar Yaya Touré and Qatari world and Olympic high-jump champion Mutaz Barshim went the extra mile and agreed to become volunteers for the day at the busy uniform distribution centre in Doha.
The three ambassadors were given official volunteer uniforms and briefed in their duties to help distribute uniforms to FIFA World Cup workforce staff and volunteers.
Asked how he enjoyed spending a day in the life of a volunteer, Desailly replied, “It was a great experience to understand the dedication, the passion and the commitment of the volunteers. Now we know, and we want each of the 20,000 volunteers to know, that all their amazing hard work is fully recognised and appreciated. The tournament could not be delivered without them.”
Workforce uniform volunteer Wan Nizam said, “Having these amazing sportspeople volunteering with us was a fantastic experience that I will cherish for life. It was an honour and pleasure to explain our role and guide them.”
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Legacy Fund
On the eve of the opening game, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Legacy Fund would take a more global approach by focusing on educational projects and supporting the creation of a labour excellence hub.
“The legacy of the FIFA World Cup will take a different direction following the tournament in Qatar by having an international dimension that helps people most in need all across the world,” said President Infantino in his address to the Goal 2022 and Generation Amazing Youth Festival in Doha.
“Previous FIFA World Cup legacy funds have focused on developing football in the host country of that final tournament, but given Qatar’s capabilities, for this edition FIFA will take a more global direction. I would like to thank our colleagues in Qatar for accepting our proposal, which will help support many people in many countries.”
As part of this legacy plan, FIFA will allocate funding to support the education of children, particularly girls and women, located in developing countries so that they are provided with more opportunities to succeed. These projects will help to give children a chance to develop their skills and progress in their own lives, equipping them with the tools they need to create a better future for themselves.
„The legacy of the FIFA World Cup will take a different direction following the tournament in Qatar by having an international dimension that helps people most in need all across the world.“
In addition, FIFA will set aside funds dedicated to establishing a labour excellence hub in partnership with the International Labour Organization. The role of the programmes will be to share best practices in labour matters and support adherence to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights when hosting FIFA tournaments.
Although the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Legacy Fund is financed by a percentage of the commercial revenue generated through the competition, FIFA also invited external contributors to provide support after the tournament ended, in keeping with previous editions.
Giving the workers an experience of a lifetime
Delivering the infrastructure required to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was a construction project like no other. In addition to the training sites, seven brand-new stadiums – and one fully refurbished one – were delivered. This was an enormous undertaking involving thousands of construction workers.
In the final week of the tournament, some of those who had worked on these projects were handed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play with and against some of the world’s most famous ex-footballers – at a stadium many of them had helped build.
In front of more than 5,400 friends and colleagues, 24 workers who had helped deliver key FIFA World Cup projects overseen by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) took to the field alongside some of most iconic names in global football at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.
The workers had been part of projects related to the eight state-of-the-art stadiums and 42 training sites and were selected based on their passion for football, their involvement in their community football programmes and their past participation in the Workers Cup – an annual tournament organised by the SC and the Qatar Football Association for migrant workers in the country.
„It’s a great idea from FIFA to give back to some of the workers who have put so much hard work into the fantastic stadiums.“
The FIFA Legends, who included FIFA World Cup winners Marco Materazzi, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Youri Djorkaeff and Alessandro Del Piero, played two 30-minute halves.
Former England captain John Terry, who played in two FIFA World Cups, was also among the legends, and praised the initiative.
“It’s a great idea from FIFA to give back to some of the workers who have put so much hard work into the fantastic stadiums,” he said after the game. “To open the stadium up to other fans to come and see [it] free of charge, as well. It’s fantastic. It’s just great for them to come and play with us, but also for us to meet them personally, and experience the pitch. As ex-players, it’s always nice.”
„I really enjoyed everything. It was like a dream come true to see some of these guys. They are legends. The emotions were amazing, I enjoyed every bit of it.“
Meanwhile, one of the participants lining up against the FIFA Legends, Justice Boye Odoi from Ghana, said it was an experience he would never forget. “It was incredible,” he said after the game. “I really enjoyed everything. It was like a dream come true to see some of these guys.They are legends. The emotions were amazing, I enjoyed every bit of it. I was excited to see [Alessandro] Del Piero, especially, and Clarence Seedorf. They are amazing players.”
Introducing the sensory rooms: another FIFA World Cup™ first
Working with local stakeholders, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, FIFA and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC set up sensory rooms for fans with access requirements at three Qatar 2022™ stadiums: Al Bayt, Lusail and Education City.
The spaces allowed fans to watch matches in a quieter place equipped with assistive technology and expert staff on hand. The offering also included the largest deployment of sensory rooms at a mega sporting event in history.
A number of mobile sensory rooms were also set up across Qatar to give fans the opportunity to step away from large crowds or loud music. Locations included the Corniche, where the SC organised a vast number of cultural activations, and the FIFA Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park.
„As a child with autism, his senses can be overloaded, but these sensory rooms make the experience very manageable.“
For Adel Al Awad, bringing his 13-year-old brother, Ibrahim, to a FIFA World Cup match was an important experience. “I am delighted to see Ibrahim being given the opportunity to attend football matches. He loves the game, and is always excited when we go to the stadium. Although he loves the sights and sounds of being in the stands, they can sometimes be a bit too much for him. As a child with autism, his senses can be overloaded, but these sensory rooms make the experience very manageable,” he said.
Federico Addiechi, FIFA’s Head of Sustainability & Environment, added: “For each edition of the FIFA World Cup, we step up our commitment to sustainability. Qatar 2022 is becoming a standard bearer for other major sporting events when it comes to accessibility, going beyond basic infrastructure. This is about ensuring that every fan feels welcome and a part of this event, and we are proud of what we have achieved.”
The 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup also featured a number of firsts for disabled fans, including the availability of audio-descriptive commentary in Arabic at all matches. In addition, the tournament was hailed as the most accessible edition of the FIFA World Cup in history – with all eight stadiums being outfitted with facilities for disabled fans.