57 teams from 34 nations have qualified and started arriving in Doha for the action-packed five-a-side football tournament in front of an onlooking Neymar Jr who will face the two World Champions in the mixed and women category.
“This tournament is so special,” said Neymar Jr. “The format is really unique; the players are super skilful and I can’t wait to see them all in action next week. It’s the first Red Bull Neymar Jr?s Five World Final in three years and everyone is hyped.”
Image credit: Red Bull
Five-a-side footballers from across the globe are preparing to battle it out at the 2022 Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five World Final next week, with Qatar set to host the showpiece event for the first time on the 23rd and the 24th of May.
Qatar Foundation’s Education City will set the stage for this year’s special World Finals. Inspired by Urban Architecture, the state-of-the-art Ceremonial Court will be transformed into multiple five-a-side courts fit for champions. Players and their teams will get to outplay them all, surrounded by hundreds of football fans in towering grandstands.
“In the year that sees Qatar host the most awaited global football event, and as excitement continues to build across the nation ahead of one of the biggest sporting events in the world, we’re delighted to be hosting the Red Bull Neymar Jr’s Five, a dynamic tournament that mirrors this country’s love of football,” said Alexandra Chalat, Community Engagement and Activation Director, QF.
“At Qatar Foundation we are committed to supporting and engaging young people through the power of sport, and that is reflected in this tournament. We’re really looking forward to welcoming teams from around the world to our Education City home to compete, enjoy, and interact in what will be a vibrant, multicultural showcase of the joy that football brings.”
Image credit: Red Bull
Bringing together teams that progressed through their local qualifiers to become national champions in 2021 and 2022, this year’s edition is set to be the biggest one yet. More than 50 teams from 34 nations will bid to outplay them all in the mixed and women’s categories, and for the first time ever there’s the potential for ‘derby’ matches, where two teams from the same country could go head-to-head against each other. There are no goalkeepers, and every time a team scores, the opposition loses a player. Matches last for 10 minutes, or until one team loses all five players.
Representing Qatar will be 2021’s and 2022’s National Champions. The four teams will be taking on the World’s National Champions on their home turf in the group stages on the 23rd of May. They will get to play and perform in front of their home crowd, which is expected to give them a big boost in morale!
Joining the national champions will be a trio of Jr’s Global Five teams from the last three years, each consisting of seven players who earned their ticket to the World Final by impressing Neymar Jr with their tricks and skills on social media.
“The Jr’s Global Five teams really represent what this competition is all about,” said Neymar Jr. “Players from different countries, who’ve never met before, coming together to celebrate their shared passion for football. There might be a language barrier, but these players always let their football do the talking.”
The action gets underway with the group stage on May 23, followed by the knockout rounds on May 24, where Neymar Jr himself will be on hand to personally crown two new mixed and women’s champions. The Brazilian forward will then invite the winning teams back onto the pitch to each play a ‘Super Final’ against him and his friends.
The World Final will be broadcast live on Red Bull TV on May 24 from 7:30 PM local time as well as beIN Sports Channel 2 and English 1.
The Red Bull Neymar Jr’s FIVE World Finals are held in partnership with Vodafone Qatar; Qatar Foundation, Education City; I Love Qatar, Al Meera Qatar, beIN Sports, ProTV, Puma ME, Discover Qatar, and Qatar Tourism.
For more information, check out www.redbullneymarjrsfive.com
Source and cover image credit: Red Bull
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