Gianni Infantino calls Qatar Legacy Fund 2022 at “unprecedented level, never seen before”

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the FIFA Legacy Fund FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 takes this concept to a “new level, never seen before” after the initiative’s large-scale impact was announced during a video conference including a signing ceremony between FIFA, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the International Trade Center (ITC).

With the agreement of the SC and the Qatar Football Federation, FIFA announced, in November 2022that for the first time, the impact of the FIFA World Cup Legacy Fund would extend beyond the borders of the host country.

Now, the USD 50 million fund will focus on refugees, education and public and professional health, while FIFA collaborates with the SC, UNHCR, WHO, WTO and ICC.

“This day is very important. I would even say, historical. “This is the day we announce the Legacy Fund for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” said the FIFA President. “It takes the concept of inheritance funds to a new level, never seen before. In 2022, we hosted the best FIFA World Cup ever here in Qatar. At that time, we promised that the legacy and impact of this World Cup would be felt for many years to come.

“And today we delivered on that promise: we guaranteed that USD 50 million would be invested in key projects… including refugees, occupational health, women, education and, of course, the development of football. A new era in terms of legacy funds, an important project and a considerable impact that will last; that of the best FIFA World Cup of all time, organized in Qatar 2022.”

The Legacy Fund for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was presented and signed during a video conference attended by the FIFA President, the SC Secretary General (H.Exc. Hassan Al Thawadi), the Director-General of the WTO (Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Filippo Grandi) and the Executive Director of the ITC (Pamela Coke-Hamilton). Its multifaceted impact, which will be felt across many regions, is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the two parties.

While working with UNHCR, the fund will support refugee programs to help some of the most vulnerable people in the world. It will also support the WHO on a wide range of professional health projects, such as Beat the Heatan initiative focused on the various consequences of climate change. Women are the core of the education component of the Legacy Fund: it supports the Fund for female exporters in the digital economy of the WTO and the ITC, which aims to give more economic power to women entrepreneurs by exploiting the potential of digitalization.

“These three partners will allow us to guarantee that the money that constitutes this fund will fuel projects that will help millions of people around the world,” explained Mr. Infantino.

“Three incredible partners, three fantastic partners for FIFA, for the Supreme Committee, for Qatar, to ensure that the legacy of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will have a positive impact on millions of people, not only in a country or in a region, but throughout the world.”