Mashable: Gianni Infantino hopes that the on-field action will continue as exciting as the first 56 games.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has hailed the opening stages of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as the "best ever," citing thrilling games in all eight groups, record-breaking viewing figures worldwide, and the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha, which proved to be immensely popular with fans of nations from all over the world.

The FIFA President praised the quality of the football played by the 32 teams who competed in the group stage as the competition moved into the quarterfinal stage. He also emphasized the passion displayed in the stadiums, FIFA Fan Festival, and fan parks throughout Qatar.

“I have seen all the matches, and this has been the best group stage of a World Cup ever. The matches have been of great quality in beautiful stadiums,” Infantino told FIFA.com.

“There are no more small teams and no more big teams. The level is very equal. For the first time, national teams from all continents [are] going to the knock-out phase. This shows that football is really becoming truly global,” he added.

The head of FIFA stated that there were “over 51,000 on average [spectators]. Record-breaking figures on TV – we already had over two billion viewers,” and only a few games in Doha were played in venues that were not full.

In particular, the FIFA skyboxes for sponsors and other high-ranking individuals frequently had a deserted look.

Before the tournament is over, Infantino expects "we will reach the five [TV] billion viewers around the world," and he also hopes that the on-field action will continue as exciting as the first 56 games.

Furthermore, he added, “We simply want to give some joy and some smiles to people all over the world. That’s what football is about, that’s what the World Cup is about, and that’s what should happen from now until the end. We have already seen some great action on the field, which, finally, is the most important part of what you do, some of the biggest stars performing very, very well.”

The FIFA President concluded by outlining his expectations for the next eight games before the new world champions are announced at Lusail Stadium on December 18th.

Gianni Infantino: “This was the best World Cup group stage ever. The games were exciting, in fabulous stadiums, with a fantastic atmosphere.”

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“Now, we reach, really, the top competitive phase where, of course, the big stars, the big players, the big teams, will make the difference on the pitch. So, I hope, we will see a fantastic conclusion of this World Cup,” he said.