Reimagined FIFA Fan Festival experience to debut at Qatar 2022 before heading to Australia and New Zealand

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FIFA
Image provided by FIFA

FIFA is set to debut a reimagined fan destination and on-site entertainment experience for fans at future FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup events called the FIFA Fan Festival.

Beginning with World Cup Qatar 2022, this multidimensional, inclusive event will provide new ways for fans to celebrate their shared passion for football and experience the best in music, entertainment, local culture, food, games and lifestyle trends in a true festival environment.

Formerly known as the FIFA Fan Fest, this one-stop destination for fans previously appeared at four editions of the World Cup – starting with the 2006 World Cup Germany – and welcomed almost 40 million visitors across five continents.

Following its debut in its new form in Qatar later this year, the FIFA Fan Festival will premiere at the Women’s World Cup at the tournament in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in 2023.

“To support our mission to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive, we are thrilled to introduce a new vision for the entertainment experience surrounding future FIFA World Cup events,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“The FIFA Fan Festival provides an incredible opportunity for fans to come together beyond the stadiums and the on-pitch action and experience football in new and unique ways. We are truly excited about the future of the FIFA Fan Festival and the enhanced entertainment offerings that will bring fans and partners alike closer to both men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, as well as global football culture.”

The newly reimagined FIFA Fan Festival was designed to tap into the unique energy felt around major FIFA competitions. It will give all types of fans – from avid supporters to casual football enthusiasts and lovers of music, food and culture – new ways to connect and engage with football in a fun, entertaining and festive atmosphere.

For the World Cup Qatar 2022, the FIFA Fan Festival will be held at one central location at Al Bidda Park in Doha over the 29 days of the tournament (November 20 – December 18 2022). This go-to destination for fans on-site at Qatar 2022 will feature the following attractions:

  • Live broadcasts of every match on giant screens, with views of Doha’s futuristic skyline in the background
  • Concerts starring top global and local music acts and live works by internationally acclaimed performance artists
  • A food court offering unique culinary experiences featuring local cuisine and international delicacies
  • Unique football matches with FIFA Legends, in addition to interactive physical and digital football gaming stations for fans of all ages
  • Innovative sponsor activations, as well as an official FIFA Store with licensed FIFA World Cup products

FIFA will also extend the reach of the event around the world by enabling fans to watch, experience and interact with content from the FIFA Fan Festival through the FIFA+ digital platform. Throughout Qatar 2022, fans will be able to access content from the FIFA Fan Festival by visiting the World Cup page on FIFA+.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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