The official emblem for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup has been unveiled in the capital Doha.
The unveiling took place at 8:22pm local time (17:22 GMT), as thousands of spectators gathered to witness the synchronised projection of the emblem onto a number of the country’s most iconic buildings, including Burj Doha, Katara Cultural Village Amphitheatre, Souq Waqif and Al Zubarah Fort - a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The emblem was unveiled simultaneously in 24 other major cities across the world including London, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Mumbai, Paris and Seoul.
A screen in Madrid's Callao Square showed the emblem, while an advertisement that revealed the emblem was running on screens attached to the Arco Della Pace in Milan, and on a giant screen at Moscow's New Arbat Avenue.
According to tournament organisers, the swooping curves of the emblem represent the undulations of desert dunes and the unbroken loop depicts both the number eight - highlighting the eight stadiums that will host the World Cup matches - and the infinity symbol, which reflects the interconnected nature of the event.
Al Jazeera's Andy Richardson reporting from Qatar's capital, Doha said the details of the emblem are not as important as the wider symbolism of the timing the launch.
"The timing of this launch is no accident. It was September the 3rd 1971 when Qatar became an independent country having previously been a protectorate of Britain and it is now as an independent country that Qatar will be bringing the World Cup to the Middle East for the very first time," Richardson said.
"And after all the conversations and controversies we have had since Qatar was award the World Cup in 2010, the global nature of the launch of this emblem is a reminder to everyone that sure enough a football tournament will be coming here in November 2022," he added.
Some of the world's most renowned footballers took to social media to share the emblem with millions of their fans.
The 22nd edition of the World Cup, which will be the first staged in the Arab world, will get underway on November 21, 2022. The final will be played on December 18, 2022, Qatar's National Day.
