FIFA has unveiled the official emblem for the 2022 World Cup set to be held in Qatar.
Launched in the country’s capital Doha, thousands of spectators witnessed the synchronised projection of the emblem onto a number of the country’s most iconic buildings.
It was also broadcast on large screens across the world, including London’s Leicester Square, Canary Wharf and Westfield.
The swooping curves of the emblem represent the undulations of desert dunes and the unbroken loop depicts both the number eight – a reminder of the eight stadiums that will host matches.
And with the tournament taking place between November and December for the first time in its history, the emblem’s central form takes inspiration from a traditional woollen shawl.
During winter months, shawls are worn around the world and in the Arab and Gulf region in particular by a variety of people and in various styles.
The typeface also re-imagines traditional Arabic calligraphy in a new, contemporary font, taking inspiration from the region and Asia, and fusing tradition with modernity.
The Gulf nation won the right to stage the 2022 World Cup in December 2010 with the second stadium set to be ready, Al Janoub, hosting its first match in May this year.
The remaining six venues are scheduled to be completed before the end of 2020, including the Lusail Stadium, which will host the opening match on November 21, as well as the final on December 18, 2022.
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