00:02Four years ago, Qatar was at the center of the football world.
00:06Now, attention is turning to 2026, and another FIFA World Cup is set to kick off.
00:13But before the spotlight shifts, people here in Qatar are still talking about 2022.
00:18The fans, the atmosphere, the feeling the whole world fit into one small country for an entire month.
00:24And now the question is, what part of that legacy carries on to 2026?
00:29In a sea of football fans, one stands out.
00:33Always dressed for the occasion, Mohamed Mirza is a spectacle for spectators.
00:38Like many fans, he remembers the ease of movement and hospitality that welcomes supporters from everywhere.
00:44It was free transport, and the stadiums were very close together.
00:50During one day, you can watch two games. I did by myself.
00:54And it was really, really the best World Cup.
00:57Now, as preparations ramp up for the next World Cup, some of the lessons from Qatar are traveling, too.
01:03A testament to FIFA's confidence in the tiny Gulf nation.
01:07The expertise, but more than that, the commitment and the passion and the heart of all the people in this
01:17venture is absolutely amazing.
01:20The high praise from FIFA resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding for Qatar to support the delivery
01:27of the next World Cup.
01:28You just announced this week that you're partnering with FIFA.
01:32What kind of expertise are you sharing with host cities?
01:34FIFA is a very, very valuable partner for the Supreme Committee, for the country of Qatar.
01:39We have people already working there since over a month now.
01:43So we have venue managers, we have media operations, we have security personnel as well.
01:49We have transportation people.
01:51So it's a lot of different functional areas.
01:53But this year will be undoubtedly different.
01:56Given the new format, what are you most looking forward to in 2026?
01:59Personally, I think increasing the number of teams is a good idea.
02:03We will see from a technical perspective how it will end up.
02:07But from a spectator experience, fan experience, from a cultural, social perspective,
02:13it's very, very important that all these people mingle with each other, meet each other, see each other's culture,
02:18which is, you know, the power of football.
02:21The impact of Qatar 2022 is still being felt here in the stadiums, the metro,
02:26and the way this country sees itself on the world stage.
02:29As North America gets ready for 2026, many will be wondering what lessons from Qatar
02:33will make the journey across the Atlantic.
02:36Adil Alim, Euronews, Doha.
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