Tribune News NetworkDoha
Football fans representing all 32 qualified nations for Qatar 2022 took part in the Fans’ Cup – held on the sidelines of the FIFA World Cup.
The four-day tournament, held at the FIFA Fan Festival in Al Bidda Park, was organised by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) as part of its fan engagement activities.
The five-a-side tournament reflected the same format as Qatar 2022, with the teams drawn into the same eight groups. All participants were nationals of their respective countries. This included hosts Qatar, who reached the quarter-finals of the tournament before falling to Poland.
The final was an all-European affair between Poland and Serbia, with the Poles lifting the trophy after a convincing 4-0 victory. The trophy presentation took place on the main stage at the FIFA Fan Festival, with Qatar Legacy Ambassadors Cafu and Ronald de Boer handing out the silverware.
Lifting the trophy was a moment to savour for Poland’s Adrian Dalek.
He said: “I feel amazing right now because we’ve won the World Cup for fans. It was a fantastic tournament and it is very nice to be here in Qatar for it. Though it was a fans’ cup, there were some very good teams here and a high level of football was played.”
“The companionship we have had with all the cultures we have met here and the chance to meet new people has been extraordinary,” said Serbia goalkeeper, Bogdan Sokolović. “I think Qatar raised the bar for the next World Cup by staging this tournament. It was really wonderful.”
“Fans are central to the success of the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world, so we were thrilled to host the first 32-team Fans’ Cup at a FIFA World Cup, which we believe created an exciting atmosphere while uniting fans from across the globe through their shared passion for the beautiful game. We hope the legacy of this historic tournament, delivered for the first time in Qatar, sees fan tournaments at all major football events in the future,” said Samantha Sifah, the SC’s Fan Engagement Manager.
