Khalid Tawalbeh
Doha
Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the State of Qatar HE Guillermo Nicolas has said that FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be the most successful ever.
"The long road is reaching its final destination and the State of Qatar is getting ready for the biggest event in sports,” the Argentine ambassador told Qatar Tribune.
"History is written in every World Cup. This year, the set is set for one of its biggest chapters so far,” he added.
The envoy continued, "Just by the fact of this edition being the first one to be played in the Arab world and in a Muslim country is enough to deserve its place in the records of the competition.”
The Argentine ambassador expressed his admiration for the great achievements Qatar has madein all fields preparing for the first Arab-hosted World Cup, especially with the infrastructure and stadiums being availablefor the mega event.
"But if we only take into consideration the preparations Qatar has made, all the elements for a successful event appear to be ready,” he added.
"Over the last decade Qatar has seen its landscapes transformed. The scope of works being done is vast. Not only the stadiums, which by the way are the perfect combination of art and engineering, but also highways, roads, bridges, hotels, towers, parks, malls, and other mega projects,” he added.
The Argentine ambassador stated, "Qatar will not be the same by the end of the year. Argentina shares the same passion for sports as Qatar. We know for a fact that our nationals will paint the streets of Doha with the colours of our flag. And, of course, Messi’s 10 no. jersey will be everywhere you may look.”
Regarding the preparations for the mega event, the ambassador explained that the embassy, in coordination with Argentine national authorities and with the assistance of the Qatari government, is preparing a host of activities to guarantee consular assistance to all Argentine citizens.
He added: "Being able to provide consular services to our nationals when they are abroad is a paramount priority for our country.”
The ambassador said, "Argentina is fully committed to support the efforts of His Highness the Amir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the work of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, as well as those being carried out by other national authorities.”
On the participation of the Argentine national football team in the Qatar World Cup, the ambassador commented, "We have very high hopes for our national team and very high expectations for our performance during this World Cup. And that passion, that feeling, is what drives our people to Qatar.”
Argentina is well known for its people’s love for football with all the achievements it gained in this field, especially in the World Cup past editions, big numbers of Argentinian fans are coming to Qatar to celebrate this great edition.
"Around 35,000 Argentines will arrive in Doha during the competition,” the ambassador confirmed.
The ambassador called on all Argentine fans coming to Qatar to respect the culture and traditions of Qatar, adding: "Let’s take the opportunity to celebrate the generosity of the Qatari people.”
The ambassador described Messi and Maradona as the greatest football players of all time.
"Messi is an international figure. We have the privilege of having the two greatest football players of all time, with him alongside Maradona. This will be the first World Cup since the passing of the player who gave us the best goal ever scored in a World Cup, and he will be truly missed.” He added.
The ambassador of Argentina added, "Every four years the entire world gets together in one place to celebrate football. The biggest stars face each other and the winner gets to celebrate”.
"Our country knows about this. We have hosted the 1978 edition and we proudly carry on our chest golden stars after obtaining our first World Cup that year and a second one in 1986 with Diego Maradona at the peak of his game.”
"We are waiting anxiously for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to kick off in November 20th,” the ambassador concluded.