The official emblem for the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 was unveiled in Doha on Tuesday, September 3.
Thousands of spectators had gathered to watch the synchronised projection of the emblem for the 22nd edition of the biggest quadrennial football event on earth. A projection of the logo appeared on some of the most iconic buildings of the country - Burj Doha, Katara Cultural Village Amphitheatre, Ministry of Interior, Souq Waqif, Msheireb and Al Zubarah Fort - at around 8:22 pm local time.
Many famous and crowded locations of 24 major cities around the world, like Madrid, Buenos Aires and Beirut, were also illuminated with the emblem.
The emblem has become a point of discussion due to its resemblance with certain Arabic cultural nuances. It takes inspiration from the traditional woollen shawl with maroon patterns, worn by people especially in the Arab and Gulf region during winters. The emblem also resembles the coveted World Cup trophy and its curves represent the desert dunes.
It also reflects the number 'eight' which symbolise the eight stadiums that will host the matches. The way 'Qatar 2022' is written celebrates the Arabic language, fusing it with modernity.
This will be only the second time that the World Cup will be hosted in Asia, after South Korea and Japan hosted it in 2002.
The Official Emblem of the FIFA #WorldCup Qatar 2022 embodies the vision of an event that connects and engages the entire world, while also featuring striking elements of local and regional Arab culture and allusions to the beautiful game. pic.twitter.com/Z9k2UlaISm
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) September 3, 2019
The upcoming event will be a historical edition of the quadrennial tournament as for the first time in history, a World Cup will be held during the winters ( November 21-December 18) to avoid the harsh Qatar summer.
The event's fixture was subjected to a lot of criticism as it will disrupt the footballing calendar in countries all over the world and may cause massive losses. But the fixture settled by FIFA will remain unchanged.
Allegations of corruption in giving the 2022 World Cup hosting rights to Qatar have been in the news for a long time and in the month of June 2019, former FIFA president Michel Platini was even arrested on the basis of that matter.
There were also requests from CONBEMOL to FIFA for the expansion of the World Cup from 32 teams to 48 teams but it did not get approved by FIFA for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The Al Janoub stadium which will host the matches in Qatar is modelled like the traditional dhow boat whereas the Lusail stadium which resembles a fanar lantern will host the opener of the event.
The emblem till now has received positive responses from people around the world.
