February 16 – Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates has received a glowing post-event plaudits for its hosting of the Club World Cup having stepped in at the last minute to host the competition.
“I think that it’s been a fantastic event here in Abu Dhabi. There’s been great organisation and we’ve loved Abu Dhabi for many years already, so I have to thank Abu Dhabi Sports Council,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“We’ve seen exciting matches, fantastic fans coming from all over the world – from Brazil, from Egypt, from Saudi Arabia – the teams have given their maximum, the conditions are perfect, the weather is fantastic, the stadiums are beautiful, we love it!”
The UAE hosted the expanded 2019 AFC Asian Cup and has built a reputation as a leading and trouble-free host for major competitions. The Club World Cup fitted neatly into Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s wider initiative to promote an effective year-round sports calendar that provides opportunities and encourages participation amongst all members of the community, as well as promoting the UAE capital as a premier host of global sports events.
Organisers have reported over 5,800 hotel rooms booked for the tournament by travelling fans and more than 100,000 accreditation applications made.
Broadcast to 107 countries worldwide, digital coverage delivered over four million impressions, 804,000+ clicks on content and over 20 million videos views.
Echoing the praise of his boss, Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development added: “I would say the competition has been well organised. I’ve seen that Arab football is developing and the fans have been amazing. The atmosphere inside the stadium has been absolutely great. It’s good to see.”
Chelsea won the final 2-1 against Palmeiras. CAF Champions League winner Al Ahly from Egypt, beat AFC Champions League winner Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia 4-0 for the third place.
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