Al Thawadi: "The Arab Cup is a final rehearsal for the World Cup."
The secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy confirmed that there will be 23 teams participating in the first tournament of its kind in the region.
Hassan Abdallah Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, confirmed that there will be 23 teams from the region participating in the Arab Cup, which makes it of interest to the FIFA International Football Federation for several reasons, including the fact that it is the first tournament of its kind in the region.
"The tournament is being held two years before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar," he said, "which is an opportunity to test the operational facilities and plans for the 2022 World Cup.
"The tournament itself forms an Arab gathering of the football teams from the ocean to the gulf, elite team of Asian and African football, which are known for outstanding character in world football, as the fans are passionate to see their national team fighting for the title, so it affirms the passion of these people for football."
Arab Cup test for facilities ahead of 2022 World Cup
In turn, Nasser Al Khater, CEO of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, said: "After the successful hosting of the two versions of the Club World Cup 2019 and 2020 in Qatar, the Arab Cup gives us another optimal opportunity to test the operational processes, plans and preparations before the biggest event in the world.
Al Khater said that the Arab Cup gives fans, footballers and officials the opportunity to use the facilities for the 2022 World Cup, including the World Cup stadiums and training grounds, stressing that hosting the Arab teams is part of Qatar's preparations for the biggest event in the world.