FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised the group stage competitions for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, describing them as "the best ever."

Infantino praised the surprising results of the eight group matches, in addition to setting records in terms of the number of viewers inside the stadiums and on television screens around the world, in addition to the record numbers of those who attended the Doha Fan Festival, which proves once again how popular football is among the fans. All countries of the world.

Infantino praised the quality of the play of the 32 teams that competed in the group stage, and confirmed the level of passion that was present in the stands, and in the Fan Festival and Fan Gardens that Qatar hosted.

"I attended all the matches. Let me say it very simply and clearly: this is the best group stage edition of the World Cup ever, so this edition holds a lot for the remainder of the tournament," FIFA's official website quoted Infantino as saying.

"The matches were played at a very good level in some of the best stadiums. We knew that before. But on top of that, the crowd was amazing. The average number of fans was 51,000," he added.

He pointed out, "The number of viewers on television has reached record numbers, and the number has exceeded two billion viewers, and this is amazing. 2.5 million people fill the streets of Doha and a few hundred thousand go to the stadiums every day, encouraging and supporting their teams. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the goals scored are a fantasy and enthusiasm." Indescribable, plus surprises.

Positive indicators

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, the round of 16 witnessed the presence of representatives from all continents, and according to Infantino, these are all positive indicators of the development and improvement of the game at the global level, explaining, "There are no longer small teams."

"The level of play is very close. For the first time in history, we are witnessing the qualification of teams from all continents to the knockout stage. This means that football is on its way to becoming a truly global game," the FIFA President stressed.

The figures - which were issued at the end of the group stage - showed a cumulative attendance of two million and 450 thousand fans in the first 48 matches.

“We hope that the World Cup will continue and end as it began with unparalleled success. I am confident that we will reach 5 million fans around the world. In terms of attendance inside the stadiums, tickets are completely sold out, and the stadiums are filled to their capacity. And there are fan festivals,” Infantino said. The various fan areas are crowded with fans."

"At the end of the day, all we want is to give some joy and smiles to people around the world. That's the goal of football and that's the goal of the World Cup," Infantino concluded.