Organisers of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup have said they could adopt Russia’s Fan ID scheme.
Fan ID, which is personalised document that every ticket-holder is required to have by the governing body, provides fans with visa-free entry to Russia during the tournament.
Head of the Qatar 2022 Local Organising Committee Hassan Al Thawadi told Sputnik News of its intention to use the ticketing method during its own edition of the international football tournament.
“There are many moments that we can adopt: FAN IDs, security services’ work, the way all the services cooperate,” Al Thawadi said.
“I think that not only we will learn from Russia after this World Cup, the whole world will adopt this experience of hosting the World Cup. Russia set standards that are higher than any standards that have been set previously.”
Qatar is set to host the FIFA World Cup from Novemeber 21 to December 18, 2022, marking the first time the event has been held in winter months and the first ever to be held in the Arabian Peninsula.
The current World Cup in Russia has faced some issues with its Fan ID system after loopholes were discovered in its process.
The English Football Supporters Federation said it was able to obtain a number of Fan IDs using the same ticket reference number, allowing those without a ticket entry to the country. FIFA said data protection regulations prohibited it from sharing details of fans that had bought tickets with the Russian authorities, which has led to gaps being exposed in the system.
In addition, Finland detained several prospective asylum seekers after they attempted to enter the country from Russia with a Fan ID. People use the application process as a method to get into Russia without a visa and then attempt to cross into Finland.
Image: Marco Verch
Share this