Zurich, November 30 (QNA) - FIFA has announced that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 achieved record-breaking global viewership and delivered significant results in sustainability.

The announcement was part of a report published by FIFA, in partnership with Qatar 2022 and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Sustainability Progress Report). This report is the most comprehensive in the tournament's history, outlining the expected outcomes and comparing them with the sustainability strategy developed for the the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The report, prepared in line with Global Reporting Initiative standards, highlights the achievements and challenges of the 79 initiatives in the sustainability strategy.

The Secretary General for FIFA, Matthias Grafstrom stated, "Organizing the worlds largest sporting event, the pinnacle of our competitions, has a massive impact. Years of preparation and a wide range of stakeholders are involved, with enormous potential for positive change and a meaningful legacy in the host country."

He added, "The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has fully leveraged this potential, achieving numerous unprecedented successes, particularly in the sustainable management of events. FIFA, Qatar 2022, and the Supreme Committee raised the bar for sustainability standards long before the tournament, inspiring future management of sustainability in major events."

Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said, "The work done since we won the rights to host in 2010 has transformed Qatar and set an example for positive social, economic, and environmental change that other host countries can learn from."

He continued, "Through our collaborative efforts, we realized our vision of using footballs power to create extraordinary experiences, showcase the beauty of Qatar and the region, and leave a lasting legacy for sustainable development."

The report highlights 11 key achievements that demonstrate the success of FIFA, Qatar 2022, and the Supreme Committee in meeting the tournaments goals across areas such as environmental protection, human rights, worker welfare, and accessibility. These achievements set a new standard for best practices and sustainability that will ensure the long-term legacy of the World Cup.

Additionally, the report reveals that five billion fans globally engaged with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, a record number that far exceeded previous tournaments.

Independent global companies reported that the 2022 World Cup was the biggest in the events 94-year history.

The final match between France and Argentina had a record 1.42 billion viewers, while the average global viewership per match during the first World Cup in the Middle East was 175 million. Telemundos coverage of the final became the most-watched World Cup broadcast in U.S. history.

FIFAs social media channels also saw a massive surge in engagement, with total interactions increasing by 448 percent from 2018, reaching 811 million. Video views related to the tournament hit 3.6 billion, which equals a 202 percent increase.

The report also shows a rise in content consumption, reflecting the growing media landscape, which includes TV broadcasts (terrestrial, satellite, and digital), online streaming, social media, plus platforms owned and managed by FIFA. It includes data on the geographic distribution of content consumption.

Asia and Oceania accounted for just over half of all interactions (2.591 billion), while Africa and the Middle East had the second-largest audience (945 million).

At the national level, China led the way with 1.161 billion interactions, followed by India with 745.7 million.
The report provides a detailed breakdown of how interactions with the tournament were defined and the methodology used to measure the audience, underscoring the evolving media landscape and the need for updated viewership metrics. The findings highlight the significant growth in digital content consumption for the World Cup, signaling the need for future viewership measurement strategies. (QNA)