The "Dubai International Sports Conference," a member of the "Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives," and the "Dubai Globe Soccer Awards" held at the "Burj Khalifa" under the slogan "World Meeting" attracted significant global media attention that engaged widely with the discussions featured in the panel session with prominent world stars. The Dubai Sports Council organizes this panel annually to explore the lifestyle, gameplay, thinking styles, and ways global football stars deal with various challenges, as well as their opinions on pressing issues in global football.
Social media platforms became inundated with news and commentary about the event from both official and unofficial accounts in over 200 countries worldwide. This included accounts of participating and winning stars and clubs, which collectively have more than one billion followers on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, who followed video clips and coverage of the annual event. The sixteenth edition of the Dubai International Sports Conference, attended by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, and His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Council, along with several sports figures, garnered considerable attention from the local and international press.
Global media spotlighted the significant success achieved by the conference and discussed the importance of the first-of-its-kind opening panel session, which for the first time brought together two of the world's leading current strikers: Polish player Robert Lewandowski, who entered the Guinness World Records for goal scoring in the Bundesliga and has won numerous championships and global accolades as the best player in the world and Europe; and French forward Kylian Mbappé, considered the most prominent young striker in the world, representing the new generation of global football players, having won the 2018 World Cup and the UEFA Nations League in 2021, alongside other titles.
Among the key points discussed during the session were modern gameplay in football, building a successful team, and how to best utilize star players for success. They also discussed the proposal to organize the World Cup every two years and the primary challenges faced by players in football. Both players emphasized that football currently poses many physical challenges that impact players' performance and their physical and mental states, as players in clubs and national teams participate in more than 60 matches each year. Therefore, discussions on avoiding an increase in matches that add to the physical and psychological burdens on players are necessary.
Mbappé remarked, “I am very happy to be in Dubai, meeting some of the greatest players in the world, legends and big names in football. It is a significant achievement for me to win this award in Dubai, as it represents a great motivation to keep performing well and maintain my status. I want my name to be written in history, and I am eager to achieve more awards every year, which requires me to train harder daily as there are many good players in the world, and if I slacken for a day, someone will take my place.”
Meanwhile, Lewandowski expressed on his Instagram, “It is always a pleasure to be here in Dubai and meet many wonderful friends and players. Thank you very much for the awards, they are very valuable to me. I would like to dedicate these awards to young athletes around the world. Remember, to achieve success, you must recover repeatedly from your failures and keep fighting for your dreams. Congratulations to all the winners! I wish you all the best and success for the coming year 2022!”
The Bayern Munich star and captain of the Polish national team visited Expo Dubai 2020, engaging with an audience at the world's largest event gathered at Al Wasl Plaza and shared his happiness about being in Dubai, visiting Expo 2020, and winning the global award, while many fans captured pictures with their global star.
Numerous global football stars attending the event as guests from within and outside the country or being honored expressed their joy in participating in this annual event, considering it an opportunity to meet various stakeholders in global football, including administrators, players, and coaches, to discuss the current and future state of global football, as well as to celebrate creative players who have achieved the honor of winning this award.
Prominent global media outlets covering the conference included Sky Sports Italy, BBC UK, Marca, The Sun UK, Football Italia, Eurosport, ESPN, France 24, TA3 Slovakia, Channels TV Nigeria, Sporting News USA, AS Spain, L'Equipe France, A Bola Portugal, the official FC Barcelona website, CNA Singapore, Goal, Yahoo, Insider Sport, Sports France, Le Parisien France, and many others from various countries around the world.
