Case Study: FIFA World Cup 2022

Our World Cup Runneth Over

It’s fair to say that there are assessments and there are assessments. But when the call came to assess games at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, I admit I first put it firmly in the ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ folder. But a few weeks later, as I boarded a Qatar Airlines flight to Doha from Manchester, it was hard to deny it was happening.

After the opening game event at the fan park (almost crushed and grateful for the intervention of police horses) the tournament unfolded into one of the best ever; both for the football itself and for the experience off the field. The last-minute decision to not sell alcohol actually made a massive positive difference but it was the layout of Doha, and the close proximity of the eight stadiums that created the biggest difference to previous tournaments in South Africa, Brazil and Russia. It meant that all fans travelled together and mingled freely on public transport, in shopping malls and outside stadiums. It was not uncommon to see a dozen countries represented in one single carriage of the brand new Metro system.

The schedule (10 games in 10 days) was brutal at times but that didn’t stop us attending even more games as a fan, although we drew a line at more than 2 games in one day. The whole set up, from FIFA’s Doha HQ to the stadiums themselves was first class, and the people absolutely made it. The way that volunteers from across the world came together and understood the importance of engagement and creating memories was fantastic.

We also played a significant part; identifying problems and helping to change them in real time. The retail experience at stadiums was a real let down to begin with, but by the start of the third day, it was so much better thanks to the intervention and recommended changes, and showed the power of assessments as well as getting the information to the right people who can make changes happen quickly. As a result, thousands of fans got a better experience as the competition progressed.

Below are just a few of the highlights: