As part of the celebration of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ – the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East – the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum is presenting the exhibition, World of Football, on view from 2 October until 1 April 2023.

The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through the beginnings and history of football and the origins of the FIFA World Cup™, underscoring the sport’s ability to transcend borders and cultures and bring people together. The exhibition is part of Qatar Creates, the year-round national cultural movement that curates, promotes and celebrates the diversity of cultural activities in Qatar while connecting resident and global audiences with Qatar’s creative industries.

Inspired by a typical football match

Taking inspiration from the structure of a typical football match, the exhibition will be presented in two halves.

The first – Football for All, All for Football – examines the universal and global appeal of football. The second – The Road to Doha – takes visitors from the first FIFA Men’s World Cup matches in Uruguay in 1930, to the final in this year’s tournament at the Lusail Stadium on 18 December.

The ‘extra time’ section, History in the Making, will expand throughout the duration of the World Cup, as items from the tournament such as footballs, shoes, scarves, tickets, posters, official merchandise, and other objects, are added to commemorate events that make history in Qatar.

3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum President, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Thani, said that the  exhibition will provide a unique experience for visitors of all ages and backgrounds and is not only limited to football fans.

It will showcase how inclusivity in any sport plays a pivotal role in bringing people together and bridging gaps.

Sports memorabilia

Among the highlights of the exhibition is the jersey worn by Argentine great Diego Maradona, described by many players as the greatest player of all time when he scored twice to give Argentina a 2-1 lead against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. His second goal was nominated by FIFA.com users as the goal of the 20th century.

The jersey is on loan to the exhibition after being sold at auction in May 2022, when it became the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever purchased.

Additional objects featured in the exhibition include:

  • A football used in the finals of the first World Cup tournament in 1930
  • The first written account of the rules of football to determine how the sport is played
  • Pele’s shirt from 1973, the year he came to play in Doha
  • Jerseys worn by some of football’s all-time greats

The objects, films and images featured in the exhibition come from a variety of local and international organisations as well as loans from private collectors. Alongside items from the museum’s own football collection, significant items from major international partner museums such as the National Football Museum in the UK, the FIFA Museum and the Musée du Sport in France will demonstrate the global influence of the game.

Bringing people together

According to 3-2-1 Museum Director Abdulla Al Mulla, football is the most followed sport globally and the exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to learn how sports, especially football, play a pivotal role in bringing people from diverse backgrounds together.

In addition, the World of Football exhibition will illustrate how the sport has a very special significance in Qatar, and how impactful it is for Qatar to host the World Cup, both locally and throughout the region.

Dominic Genetti, President and General Manager of ExxonMobil, the official sponsor of the exhibition, said they are excited to grow their strong and unique relationship with Qatar Museums as the main sponsor of the World of Football.

He said that the FIFA World Cup is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, and they are delighted and proud to be playing their part as active community members, joining local efforts to ensure its success through partnerships that support important activities.

The exhibition will tell a riveting story of the history of football, the beginnings of the World Cup, and showcase Qatar’s remarkable journey to become this year’s tournament host – Genetti said they can’t wait to see the exhibition and for all the fans to experience it – it’s going to be phenomenal.

SEE ALSO:  World of Football


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