The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Local Organizing Committee (LOC) has been honored with multiple awards for their successful hosting of the continental championship. Qatar Tourism and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recognized the LOC’s achievements earlier this year. The LOC received two Qatar Tourism Awards for Premier Sports Events of the Year and Accessibility Initiative of the Year, presented by high-profile figures including the Qatar Tourism Chairman and UN Tourism Executive Director.
The AFC Annual Awards also saw the Qatar Football Association (QFA) receiving the AFC Asian Cup Host Appreciation Award, acknowledging their pivotal role in delivering a memorable tournament. The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, hosted by Qatar at the beginning of 2024, witnessed record-breaking attendance, digital engagement, and press coverage. With a total of 86,492 spectators at the final in Lusail Stadium, the tournament saw a staggering 1,509,496 fans attending overall, surpassing the previous record set in 2004.
The 2023 edition of the AFC Asian Cup boasted the widest television coverage in tournament history, with 60 TV networks broadcasting matches to over 160 countries worldwide. Moreover, over 3,000 accredited media from 55 countries contributed to sharing stories from the tournament globally. Record-breaking digital engagement was achieved across all LOC social media channels, with more than 1.2 billion impressions and over 9.5 million engagements, reaching a total of over 196 million.
The tournament prioritized accessibility, providing fully accessible venues, sensory rooms for individuals with sensory needs, and Arabic audio descriptive commentary for blind and partially sighted fans for the first time. The venues used for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 were also significant, as they were the same ones built for the FIFA World Cup. Qatar’s compact nature allowed for seamless transportation for both fans and players, with modern road and public transportation systems facilitating movement.
Central to the tournament’s mobility plan was the Doha Metro, with over 6.22 million passengers using metro services during the event. A total of 3,354 buses were utilized to shuttle 212,407 fans to and from stations to stadiums, including park and ride options. Notably, the fleet included 300 electric buses in line with the LOC’s sustainability strategy. The success of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 not only showcased Qatar’s ability to host major sporting events but also set a new standard for the accessibility and organization of international tournaments.
