(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: French football legends Nicolas Anelka and Claude Makélélé recently made their way to Doha for the Trophée des Champions Visit Qatar, which saw their former club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) beat AS Monaco 1-0 and lift the French Super Cup trophy for the 13th time in its illustrious history.
Speaking ahead of the match, which saw 39,682 fans make their way to Stadium 974, the iconic footballers spoke of the growth the Sport has witnessed in Qatar and the region.
“The World Cup in Qatar showcased the country's abilities to the entire world. Many people doubted Qatar's ability to hold such an event but it was actually the best organized World Cup in the history of the tournament. It proved to people that everything is possible in this part of the world, and that the people of the region are capable of doing great things,” said Anelka who played for some of Europe's top clubs, winning a UEFA Champions League title with Real Madrid along the way.
“I really like Qatar. I really appreciate it a lot. It's always sunny here and they have beautiful infrastructure. So much great work has gone into building a world class city with wonderful facilities and it shows,” added Anelka, a talismanic striker known his for attacking abilities.
For Claude Makélélé, Qatar 2022 has left a strong legacy that goes beyond football:“I think the World Cup changed a lot of things for the country. I'm very happy with the way I see this sport grow. Not only football, but many sports in general. Most importantly, football projects in Qatar all have a strong social element that sees substantial investment in communities in need.”
“I love football. I played football for many years in many parts of the world. I think a lot of peoplecan learn from the example of Qatar. The way tournaments are organized here provide fans with an immersive experience where they feel like they are part of the two teams on the pitch,” added Makélélé who lifted a European championship with France in 2000.
Since hosting the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world in 2022, Qatar has hosted a number of large sporting events. This includes the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, which broke records for fan attendance and digital engagement, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, which concluded last month on the two-year anniversary of Qatar 2022.
Recently FIFA announced the dates of the first of five consecutive FIFA U17 World Cups to be hosted by Qatar annually. The elite youth tournament will take place from November 5 to 22, 2025. Qatar will also host the FIFA Arab Cup in 2025, 2029 and 2033, with the 2025 edition taking place end of this year.
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