Football Legends Roll Back the Years at Star-Studded Influencer Cup Powered by Qatar Airways

30 March 2022

Inaugural tournament was hosted at Stadium 974 from 28 to 29 March

A nostalgic reunion of Qatar Legacy Ambassadors and FIFA Legends featured the likes of Cafu, Tim Cahill, and Marcel Desailly

DOHA, Qatar – With excitement building ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, renowned international social media influencers competed for the inaugural Influencer Cup Powered by Qatar Airways title, a mini tournament to test their own footballing skills, in the presence of football legends. 

The tournament was held between 28 and 29 March at Stadium 974, and was organised by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, and supported by Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism, to herald key forthcoming events ahead of the FIFA World Cup™, including the Final Draw ceremony. The influencers trained alongside multiple Qatar Legacy Ambassadors who rolled back the years with their dazzling skills including Cafu, Ahmed Khalil, Tim Cahill, Mubarak Mustafa, Khalid Salman, Ronald de Boer, and Ali Al-Habsi.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive and Chairman of Qatar Tourism, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The celebration of the Influencer Cup Powered by Qatar Airways is another milestone for the airline in the lead-up to the world’s ultimate football event. Having hosted this inaugural tournament in our home - Doha gives us the opportunity to showcase Qatar’s readiness through the lens of the influencers from all around the world, so that they can convey the excitement of the FIFA World Cup™ to their global audiences.”

H.E. Mr. Al Baker added: “Now that the mini tournament has successfully concluded, we are excited and eagerly waiting to see how the 32 teams will be grouped during the FIFA World Cup™ Final Draw, scheduled on 1 April in Doha.”

Fatma Al Nuaimi, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy's Communications Executive Director, said: “The Influencer Cup was a golden opportunity to showcase Qatar’s readiness for the FIFA World Cup™ and build excitement ahead of this Friday’s Final Draw. We have worked closely with both Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism to organise the tournament and would like to thank them for their collaboration. Both organisations are playing a key role in displaying Qatar’s image to the world and driving engagement ahead of the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab world.”

The group stage matches were held on 28 March, followed by the third place match and final on 29 March. Team Americas were crowned champions of the tournament after a scintillating display against Team Asia. The finals prize distribution ceremony was graced by the presence of FIFA Legends, including Lothar Matthäus and Marcel Desailly, who presented the ‘Qatar Airways Top Goal Scorer Award’ to Team Americas’ Caio Lo, having scored the most goals throughout the two-day tournament. While the winner’s trophy was awarded to Team Americas for their incredible performance throughout the competition.

Stadium 974 was named after taking inspiration from Qatar’s International dialling code and the exact number of shipping containers used for its construction. Its containers represent its remarkable design which is inspired by the country’s world-wide trade and seafaring. The 40,000 capacity arena will be the first fully demountable tournament venue in FIFA World Cup™ history, setting a new standard in sustainability for future tournament legacy planning. 

In September 2021, Qatar Airways launched unique travel packages, inclusive of match tickets, return flights and accommodation options.  Fans can guarantee their match tickets to support their favourite team during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ by visiting qatarairways.com/FIFA2022.

The travel packages are currently live and accessible in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Tunisia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Vietnam. Additional markets will be added soon (subject to licensing agreements).

In its goal to bring communities together through sport, the World’s Best Airline has an extensive global sports partnership portfolio that includes the sponsorship of prestigious tournaments like the UEFA Euro 2020™ and football-governing bodies such as FIFA, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. The airline also sponsors some of the world’s biggest football clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, FC Bayern München, Boca Juniors, and Al Sadd SC.

As FIFA’s Official Airline Partner since 2017, Qatar Airways has sponsored mega events including the 2019 and 2020 editions of the FIFA Club World Cup™, and the FIFA Arab Cup™, all of which were hosted in Qatar. The airline is also eagerly anticipating the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ - the first in the Middle East, and offering a seamless journey from almost 150 destinations across the globe to fans attending this world-class event.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at almost 150 destinations. With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to connect to a destination of their choice.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax, in addition to securing five additional awards including World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in the Middle East. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021). The airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was also recently recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the World 2021’, ranking at number one in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021.