Visa, WISE bring FIFA World Cup Winnerق€™s Trophy to Qatar

Visa, the Official Payment Services Partner of FIFA, and Qatar Foundation’s (QF) WISE initiative invited the community of Qatar to come face-to-face with the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy in Education City, in a celebration to highlight sports as a powerful catalyst to connect, learn and inspire one another thanks to Visa. The celebration, which took place at Education City’s Qatar National Library, mobilised QF students and community members alike, building anticipation for the year ahead as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 draws nearer. Against the backdrop of the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy on display, students also came together in a youth panel organised by WISE and Visa. The young role models openly shared and exchanged ideas on important themes such as equity and access, resilience, and education in the context of sports.

Carl Manlan, vice-president for Inclusive Impact and Sustainability for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa-Visa, said: “We are delighted to partner with WISE in bringing the most iconic symbol in football to celebrate this year’s much anticipated sports event and help educate local youth about the power of sports to provide access to opportunities for everyone. Through our FIFA sponsorship, we are also able to create many unique experiences for our cardholders and clients that will help make this historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 the most unforgettable tournament yet. This year’s event also gives us a unique platform to make a transformational impact through new innovative payment solutions that champion our values of acceptance, equality and inclusion, and we’re looking forward to making it all happen with our partners.”

The arrival of the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy also marked the launch of an innovative competition that challenges young students to come up with ideas for fun and inspiring activities that will later be realised at Education City, a press statement noted. The competition, which will remain open to students until May 5, aims to empower youth by bringing their ideas to life for passing spectators and community members during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The event is one of many opportunities spearheaded by WISE and Visa’s key partnership to produce tailored activities for Qatar’s learning ecosystem in 2022, providing a wider array of learning opportunities that advance digital financial inclusion and equity, driving sustainable commerce and the transition to a low-carbon environment.

Stavros N Yiannouka, CEO of WISE, said: "We are delighted to welcome Visa here to host this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to come face to face with the FIFA World Cup Winner’s Trophy, here in Education City. At QF’s WISE, we have long recognised the importance of team sports as part of a well rounded education. Against the backdrop of this most iconic symbol of world football, we hope that everyone who took part in today’s event came away inspired and with a renewed commitment to incorporate sports into learning throughout 2022 and beyond. In the weeks and months to come, we look forward to engaging the community with activities centered around learning and sport through our upcoming programme co-created with our partner, Visa."

In 2022, Visa will power WISE’s Doha Learning Days, a large community event bringing together young people, families and members of the community to engage in hands-on learning outside of formal education environments. In previous years, Doha Learning Days has brought together partners and thousands of school aged learners, and engaged them in activities centred around well-being, creativity, technology and arts.