MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS, Rustam Sharafutdinov/. The local organizing committee of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which is officially called the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), plans to commission this year two more stadiums for the global football championship, SC Secretary General, H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, told TASS on Tuesday.

Last week, Qatar held an official opening ceremony of the newly-built 40,000-seat capacity football arena, Education City Stadium, in Al Rayyan.

"We are very proud to have completed our latest stadium," Hassan Al Thawadi said in an interview with TASS. "Our plans remain on track — despite the [COVID-19] pandemic."

"Education City Stadium is our third tournament venue, after Khalifa International and Al Janoub, and we expect to unveil two more stadiums by the end of the year," he continued.

"In many ways, I believe Qatar 2022 has become even more important due to recent events. Sport — and particularly football — has the potential to bring people together in a post-COVID-19 world," the SC secretary general stated. "And as the next World Cup hosts, the completion of another stadium helps to lift spirits and give us all something to look forward to."

"As for the stadium itself, it is an incredibly striking venue. Fans and players will love it. It’s a true football arena. The seats are very close to the pitch, so the atmosphere will be incredible. I can’t wait for the stadium to host a match with 40,000 fans present," Hassan Al Thawadi said.

According to the official FIFA website, the facade of the stadium features triangles that form complex, diamond-like geometrical patterns which appear to change color with the sun’s movement across the sky. Like diamonds, the stadium’s design represents quality, durability and resilience.

"It’s a beautiful stadium, first and foremost, and one we call the ‘Diamond in the Desert’. The facade features diamond-like patterns which change color according to the sun’s position – hence the nickname," he continued.

"It really stands out on the horizon and, like I said earlier, I think the atmosphere, when it’s full to capacity, will be something really special," Hassan Al Thawadi said. "It will be a cauldron of noise and passion during the World Cup."

Qatar is set to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup between November 21 and December 18 at seven venues across the country, namely in Doha, Lusail, Al Wakrah, Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Umm Salal and Madinat ash Shamal.

Qatar won the right to host the matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on December 2, 2010.

In March 2015, FIFA officially announced that the 22nd edition of FIFA’s flagship event would be played in November and December 2022, with the final match set for December 18, 2022 — Qatar National Day — and with the objective, in principle, of holding the tournament for 28 days.

"This World Cup is already special — the first in the Middle East and Arab world, and the second in Asia. Now, there is an extra layer of expectation and an opportunity to provide billions of people with an unforgettable, feel-good moment," Hassan Al Thawadi added.

COVID-19

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the WHO — have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 9,202,500 people have been infected worldwide and more than 474,600 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 4,953,890 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.