Full stadiums expected at Qatar 2022: FIFA chief

Officials have also previously said that Doha is planning to host a “normal post-pandemic” event.

FIFA World Cup 2022 will witness stadiums full of football-loving spectators, said FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Monday.

“I am very, very confident [the event] will be incredible, will have the same magic, uniting the world…we will be back to where we have to be,” the sports official told a virtual meeting in Geneva.

At the same press conference, Infantino said vaccinating footballer against COVID- 19 pandemic is not currently a plan as they are “not a priority group”.

Football players are set to begin the qualifying games for the 2022 World Cup next month after a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some 3,000 players from 135 teams will be competing for the major sports event.

Infantino’s statement echoes previous remarks made by Nasser Al-Khater, CEO of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, who said the country is set to host “normal post-pandemic” games.

“The introduction of the vaccine and the rollout of the vaccine, it’s definitely good news for everybody,” Al-Khater told AP in December.

Meanwhile, in Qatar, top teams from around the world are arriving in the capital city for the Club World Cup on February 4th.

Pitso Mosimane, the manager of Egypt’s Al Ahly SC, said: “we are delighted to be in Qatar for this exciting tournament. There are many Al Ahly fans in Doha – and we are looking forward to having their support in our match against Al Duhail. This will be a great test for us as we aim to qualify for the semi-finals and a match against Bayern Munich”.

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