—- The FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, concluded his first visit to Doha this year with a meeting today with the Amir of Qatar, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022™, the pair discussed matters of cooperation and the milestones achieved to date, as well as issues related to local football and development.

One day earlier, President Infantino paid his first visit to the Al Bayt Stadium, where he played a seven-a-side match. The striking arena, which has a capacity of 60,000 and was designed to resemble a traditional Arab tent, will be inaugurated in the coming months and has been confirmed as the venue for the opening game in 2022.

“I am very pleased with Qatar’s progress ahead of the tournament. We have seen the plans, but when you see the reality, it is even more impressive. Qatar has been able to continue to advance during the last six months while the world stood still – from infrastructure preparations to important developments such as the recent labour reforms announced by the government. If I was confident before, now I can say I am even more,” added Infantino.

Full coverage of the visit is now live on FIFA.com, links below. Pictures and video footage of the stadium visit can be downloaded for editorial purposes via the links above (credit: Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy).

FIFA President praises Qatar’s World Cup preparations during his first visit to Al Bayt Stadium

FIFA President meets Amir of Qatar, discusses 2022 preparations and achievements to date