‘We Were There’:
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM
Documentary Series Co-Produced by HBS announced by FIFA & Qatar’s Supreme Committee
London, UK: [10/9/2024] FIFA and Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) are delighted to announce that their new eight-part TV series WE WERE THERE, which goes beyond the headlines and explores the remarkable human stories from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, has now commenced worldwide sales.
Narrated by Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley, and co-produced by Noah Media Group and HBS, the series is available worldwide as an eight-part series of 30-minute episodes and is centred around key protagonists from a remarkable tournament, both on and off the field.
As well as telling the story of the tournament, each episode is a mini documentary with a multi-layered narrative which establishes the backstory of the lead characters and discovers their unique journey to Qatar, witnessing key matches through their eyes, and revealing how being at the FIFA World Cup™ changed their lives.
The series features the very best of FIFA’s unseen tournament archive, including incredible access around the stadiums and in the dressing rooms, and emotional user-generated content (UGC) filmed during the tournament.
WE WERE THERE features contributions from several of the FIFA World Cup-winning Argentina team – coach Lionel Scaloni, goalkeeper and Golden Glove winner Emiliano Martínez, striker Julián Álvarez and the player who took the winning penalty in the final, Gonzalo Montiel. Other stars providing unique insights into their part in the tournament are French coach Didier Deschamps, Portugal and Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Uruguay striker Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Real Madrid and Brazil goalscorer Rodrygo, Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat, Croatian penalty shootout hero Dominik Livaković and coach Zlatko Dalić.
Alongside these unheard perspectives from the players and coaches, WE WERE THERE also follows several unique fan stories which capture the global passion for the world’s largest sporting event. From the Saudi Arabia supporter who walked across the desert to see his team beat eventual winners Argentina, to the young player mascot who shared a memorable personal moment with France star Kylian Mbappé, these fan stories come together with the memories of those taking part on the pitch to present a captivating picture of what it means to be there during the FIFA World Cup’s biggest moments.
The series is directed by Luke Mellows (Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes, Dan Carter: A Perfect 10) and produced by Noah Media Group’s Tarun Thind and executive producer Richard Makinson.
Noah Media Group’s Head of International Sales, Catherine Quantschnigg, will be handling the global sales of the series.
Fatma Al Nuaimi, Executive Director of Communications and Media at the SC, said:
“The FIFA World Cup 2022™ was such a memorable month for Qatar and the billions of fans around the world who engaged with the historic tournament. WE WERE THERE will allow us all to relive that unforgettable tournament in our own personal way, as well as relive it through the eyes of some of the World Cup’s best players and some truly unique fan stories. We hope it brings back some great memories for everyone who enjoyed the tournament.”
Dan Miodownik, CEO – HBS, commented:
“After our delivery of the event itself, we were excited to have the chance to tell the story again from a different perspective. After the high-intensity drama and passion of the tournament, the Qatari people’s story, and those of the visiting international fans, presents the personal touch. We thank FIFA and the Supreme Committee for the opportunity to share this final part of the story, in partnership with Noah Media Group.”
Catherine Quantschnigg, Noah Media Group, said:
“WE WERE THERE brings together an incredible array of footballing superstars and passionate fans from around the world with the amazing archive from the biggest sporting event in the world. We are looking forward to making this series available to global buyers.”
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PRESS:
For all press inquiries please contact:
ARPR
Alex Rowley| alex.rowley@ar-pr.co.uk
SALES:
Noah Media Group Catherine Quantschnigg
catherine.quantschnigg@noahmediagroup.com
ABOUT NOAH MEDIA
Noah Media Group is an EMMY winning and BAFTA nominated production, distribution and technology company. With a global reputation for delivering the highest quality factual content, we specialise in feature documentaries and docuseries, focusing on Extraordinary Stories with a specialism in sport. We work with 100% transparency and full partner alignment on every project, with decisions being informed by a combination of creative talent and data led insights from our internal technology, SlateIQ. Current and past productions include She Looks Like Me, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, Hatton, Villeneuve Pironi, Finding Jack Charlton, Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager. Noah was named Broadcast Sport Production Company of the Year in the U.K. in 2023.
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ABOUT HBS
Founded in 1999, Host Broadcast Services (HBS) was originally established with the core mandate of being the Host Broadcaster (HB) for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™; the organisation has since developed as a renowned host broadcast expert, delivering all FIFA World Cup™ events since, as well as the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup and many other sports events.
HBS offers expertise and experience in project managing the delivery of the most prestigious sports events around the world. The company has always pushed to reduce the broadcasting footprint, allowing organisers and broadcasters to optimise both venue resources and media rights with flawless reliability.
HBS is based in Switzerland and has its planning headquarters in France (Paris/Boulogne-Billancourt), as well as offices in Miami, US, and London, UK.