FEATURE
WHY DIVERSE CONNECTIVITY ROUTES ARE A NECESSITY FOR THE TOURNAMENT AT FIFA WORLD CUP QATAR 2022 BY BRENDAN PRESS
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o many, the FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of sport. Passion, happiness and, even, despair, combine to produce a concentrated festival of football that draws in billions of viewers from across the globe. More than half the world’s population tuned into the last World Cup in 2018, and FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, predicts that the number of viewers for this coming World Cup will reach 5 billion. On top of that, how we consume football has evolved far beyond simply watching the games. We now have increased access to teams and players. Whether through social media, analysis breakdown from pundits, or fantasy and prediction leagues, the opportunity to engage and get closer to the action has never been greater. Therefore, as we look ahead to this year’s edition in Qatar
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– which will mark the first time the tournament has been hosted in the Middle East, as well as outside of its traditional summer slot – an important consideration is how the event will be accessible to all. As such, while Ronaldo, Messi and Mbappé may make the headlines, no player will be as integral to the tournament as connectivity.
THE WORLD CUP IS AN ENGINE FOR DEVELOPMENT
When the World Cup comes to town, so does an economy boost. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (the organisation responsible for the planning and delivery of the World Cup) predicts that “the contribution to the economy essentially would be around $20 billion”, – approximately 11% of Qatar’s GDP in 2019, prior to the onset of the pandemic.