By the time dusk fell in Doha on Tuesday, thousands of excited football fans had assembled outside the amphitheatre at the Katara Cultural Village and Souq Waqif, waiting in anticipation for the unveiling of the official emblem for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

People gathered in good numbers near Burj Doha on the Corniche Street and also in front of the Ministry of Interior building at Al Bidda to witness the digital launch of the logo.

More than 100km away, hundreds of fans assembled at the Al Zubara Fort on the North-Western coast of Qatar, to be part of this historic moment.

And when the clock ticked to 20:22hrs, anticipation gave way to excitement and cheers as the logo was simultaneously displayed on giant screens and iconic buildings not only in Qatar but also at various national capitals and other big cities in more than 20 countries.

Capturing the vision of an event that captivates the entire world, the emblem features elements of local and regional Arab culture prominently. It also resembles the shape of the FIFA World Cup trophy.

Huge crowd turned out to witness the logo launch at almost all the cities across the Middle East and North Africa, underlining the Arab world’s love and passion for football. The emblem was projected on the Kuwait Towers in Kuwait City, Royal Opera House in Muscat, Raouche Rock in Beirut, Opera House in Algiers, Hammamet, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tunisia, Corniche in Rabat (Morocco) and Tahrir Square in Baghdad.

Elsewhere, the emblem was displayed on giant screens in New York, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Santiago, Mexico City, Johannesburg, London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Madrid, Moscow, Mumbai and Seoul apart from many cities and districts in Turkey.

In the months to come, the elegant image is set to be the identity of the tournament that will be historic in more ways than one.