Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez has been named as a global ambassador for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The 38-year-old World Cup winner with Spain, who currently plies his trade with the Middle East club, Al Sadd, will be an ambassador for the organisation “responsible for delivering the infrastructure” for the World Cup.
“I've seen first-hand what football can achieve in communities in Qatar and across the region. Football has the power to unite people, dispel stereotypes and break down social barriers,” Xavi was quoted as saying in Qatar 2022 World Cup local organising committee website (sc.qa).
“We're honoured that Xavi is going to continue working closely with us and support the delivery of our legacy programmes.
“It has been a pleasure to collaborate with former Barcelona star in recent years.
“We truly believe Xavi will help us build bridges across cultures and throughout the region and will help the local organising committee to promote various projects that harness the power of football to bring about positive social change,” said Al Thawadi.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be held in winter from November 21 to December 18 rather than the traditional summer window with the change was made by FIFA bearing in mind the adverse summer temperature that is prevalent in the tiny Middle East country during the months of June and July.
Xavi had a 17-year long stellar career with Barcelona starting from 1998, winning eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns.
