The number one thing fans want to see at Qatar 2022

Tomorrow the draw for the FIFA World Cup will take place in Doha when fans will find out who their team will face in the early stages of the competition. It is estimated 1.5m fans from around the globe will fly in to Qatar for the tournament later this year, for the first World Cup in the Middle East.

When fans hit the tarmac in Doha, for many it will be their first experience of travel to the Arab region, it may well be their first international travel since before the pandemic. 

It makes sense then that the number one thing the fans we polled from across the globe want support with is connectivity; namely access to free Wi-Fi. Just a few percentage points behind was support with communicating with friends and family back home.

In a post-pandemic world (fingers crossed) and in a new part of the world for many, the ability to access information, communicate freely and quickly, at no cost is paramount to fans who may be cautious of what to expect in Qatar.

With navigation support and assistance respecting local culture in second and third place respectively, this further emphasizes the point that there will be 1.5m people arriving in Qatar later this year looking for help. 

This is a huge opportunity for brands to put themselves at the heart of what matters most to fans and enhance their World Cup experience. 

However, understanding your audience is key, and whilst globally these are the top areas fans are looking for support in, there are huge swings when we focus on particular countries. 

For example, whilst free wi-fi access would be greatly appreciated by 60% of Argentinians, only 25% of British fans feel the same way. Similarly, 44% of Brazilians are looking for assistance with respecting local culture, whilst only 14% of Americans concur.

Understanding these nuances should be the top priority to any brands wanting to integrate themselves in to fans’ World Cup experience. We’ve got the data to enable those insights.