Barca legend Xavi talks about his life in Qatar and why he thinks the 2022 World Cup will be a success

And with the quality of players developed at academies like Aspire, the former Barcelona captain has backed Qatar to compete strongly in the upcoming global showpiece.

"From my time here, it is clear that football is developing very well in Qatar. The World Cup project meant that they had to really focus on developing not only top-class facilities and stadiums to host the tournament, but a national team capable of competing on the biggest stage with the world’s best teams. Aspire Academy, which launched back in 2004 to help develop footballers and other athletes in the country, has been a huge success. The new generation of players coming through in Qatar are improving a lot. I can see this improvement with my own players at Al Sadd and it is a privilege to work with them every day and help them grow in confidence," Xavi continued.

"With the current rate of development and having recently won the AFC Asian Cup, I think Qatar can compete very well at their first World Cup in 2022. Football culture is growing at a tremendous speed here and I think the World Cup will help take the game to the next level – not only in Qatar but in the whole Arab region.

While eventually the time will come for me to take the next step in my managerial career, for now, I’m focused on enjoying my time here and making the most of the opportunity to play a small role in Qatar’s exciting journey to 2022."

Reflecting on his life in Qatar, Xavi said:

"When you walk around Doha and meet the locals, their passion for football is clear. I didn’t really know what to expect when I first moved here as it was a completely new experience for me, leaving Barca after 25 years, to go to a new part of the world with a different culture and traditions. But I must admit that I like practically everything about living in Qatar.

"Since moving to Qatar, I have also had the opportunity to work on some incredible charitable initiatives. One of the projects – Generation Amazing – has become very close to my heart. It uses the power of football to empower and educate young people and teach important life skills. The programme recently celebrated its tenth anniversary and it has been a pleasure to watch it grow to the point where it has now positively impacted more than 500,000 people across ten countries."