On Thursday, November 10, 2022, 129 match officials arrived in Qatar to officiate the 22nd edition of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino spoke to officials at the referee training camp. He welcomed the 129 referees, assistant referees, and video match officials who would be in charge of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The FIFA President, along with officials such as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Local Organising Committee (LLC), Nasser Al Khater, FIFA Deputy Secretary General Mattias Grafström, and Colin Smith, FIFA’s COO for the World Cup, began their official training camp by emphasising the critical importance that the group dubbed “Team One” has to play in delivering the best-ever edition of football’s greatest competition.
Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of FIFA’s Referee Committee, and Massimo Busacca, Director of Refereeing, welcomed the delegation of officials appointed for the Mundial in Qatar.
President Infantino offered a passionate address to the officials, which the tireless team of editors at www.atspo.com documented.
He told the officials for the World Cup in Qatar, “You are FIFA’s team, you are our team and you are actually the most important team in the tournament because without you there is no football; there is no FIFA World Cup. We need Team One to enter the pitch first. We need Team One to kick off the first game on 20th November, and we need Team One to stop the last game and award the title to the World Champions.”
The President underlined in his speech that female match officials are among the 36 referees, 69 assistant referees, and 24 match officials chosen to officiate at the tournament for the first time in FIFA World Cup history. The FIFA President emphasised the importance of unity and urged participants to enjoy the moment while also believing in themselves.
“There are, for the first time, six women as well, present, but whether men or women, it’s referees. For us and for me, we are all part of the same team, and you will feel a lot during this World Cup. The emotion of being part of this adventure, the emotion of having four or five billion people all over the world look at what is happening here And you’re expected to be there, fit and ready, to make decisions and take responsibility in a very short period of time. You are the best in the world. That’s why you’re here.”
