Qatar says only vaccinated fans allowed at World Cup 2022

iStock [illustration]

Qatar will only allow people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend next year's World Cup and is in talks to secure one million doses in case global immunisation efforts lag, the prime minister said.

The country hosts the four-week tournament in November 2022 and the president of global football body FIFA has said the matches would be held in full stadiums.

Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani told newspapers that while most countries were expected to have vaccinated their citizens by then, Qatar was still be taking measures to ensure a successful event.

"We are currently negotiating with a company to provide one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in order to immunise and vaccinate some of those coming to Qatar," he said in remarks also carried by state news agency QNA late on Sunday, without identifying the firm.

It was not immediately clear how those vaccines would be offered. Most coronavirus vaccines require two doses administered weeks apart.

Qatari officials had earlier said they hoped to hold a coronavirus-free tournament and planned to make vaccinations available to attendees not already immunised.

Qatar is inoculating its citizens and residents with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. It has administered at least 2.8 million doses, enough to vaccinate about 50.8 per cent of its population, according to a Reuters COVID-19 tracker.

Sheikh Khalid said the 2021 Arab Cup, which Doha is hosting in December, would reflect Qatar's preparedness to host major tournaments.

He said a large number of stadiums had been completed and work continued on three stadiums, including Lusail Stadium, which will host the final match of World Cup 2022 and was now 90 per cent complete. 

More from Sports News

  • Manchester City striker Haaland suffers ankle injury

    Manchester City's Erling Haaland sustained an ankle injury in their FA Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth over the weekend, the Premier League club said on Monday, with the striker requiring further tests to determine the full extent of the injury.

  • Rory McIlroy battling injury with Masters approaching

    Rory McIlroy acknowledged he is dealing with an elbow injury as he prepares to head to Augusta for next week's Masters. The World No. 2 made a spirited run up the leaderboard at the Texas Children's Houston Open on Sunday, carding a 4-under 31 on the front nine that included an eagle.

  • Caitlin Clark sports card sets record after selling at auction

    WNBA star Caitlin Clark's 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl Prizm card, numbered 1-of-1, has set a record sale for a female sports card after going under the hammer for $366,000 (AED 1.3 million) at auction.

  • Saka ready to return, says Arsenal manager Arteta

    Arsenal's Bukayo Saka could make his long-awaited return against Fulham in the Premier League on Tuesday after recovering from a hamstring injury, his manager Mikel Arteta said.

  • Teenager Mensik denies Djokovic 100th title in Miami Open upset

    Nineteen-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik beat his childhood idol Novak Djokovic 7-6(4) 7-6(4) in an upset for the ages on Sunday, claiming his first ATP title at the Miami Open as he denied the former number one his bid for a milestone 100th.