Director of 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Abdulla Youssef Al Mulla
Doha, Qatar: A Diego Maradona jersey, a football dating back to 1888, and a shirt worn during the 1970 FIFA World Cup are among the more than 15 prized artefacts that the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum will bring to Mexico City this June, offering the world a rare glimpse into the most treasured pieces of Qatar’s sporting heritage.
Speaking to The Peninsula yesterday, Director of 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Abdulla Youssef Al Mulla confirmed that the iconic objects, drawn exclusively from the museum’s permanent collection, will take centre stage at two landmark exhibitions opening on June 9 in the Mexican capital to mark four years since Qatar’s historic hosting of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
“We are taking 15 iconic objects, the top of the iconic,” Al Mulla said.
“The Diego Maradona t-shirt, the football of the FAs in 1888, a shirt played in the 1970 World Cup, and so many more. You wait until you see, hopefully, what Qatar is doing there.”
The exhibitions, developed in collaboration with the Museo Jumex and Centro de Cultura Digital in Mexico, will start from June 9 and run for three months, closing in August. Their launch is timed to coincide with the opening of the FIFA World Cup 2026, lending the occasion an added layer of global sporting significance.
Al Mulla was passionate about the message Qatar hopes to send through the carefully curated collection. “We have a lot of messages to convey, how a country like Qatar contributed to host one of the great successes of the World Cup in World Cup history. I don’t think it’s going to be repeated again anywhere else,” he said.
The exhibitions are being staged in line with Qatar Vision 2030 and under the broader cultural vision of Chairperson of Qatar Museums H E Sheikha Al-Mayasah bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. For Al Mulla, the Mexico City showcase represents far more than a travelling exhibition, it is a statement of Qatar’s enduring ambition to position itself as a global hub for sport and culture.
“We will be showcasing Qatar and what Qatar has contributed to the world, where Qatar stands as a platform for sports, not only in the Middle East but globally,” he said.
Yesterday, the museum launched a new permanent e-sports zone within its premises, reflecting its commitment to engaging the next generation of Qatari talent. Built in partnership with Qatar Media City and SNRG, the dedicated facility offers training sessions, competitions, and a structured pathway for aspiring e-sports professionals.
“This project was part of Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayasah’s vision to utilise all the space in the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, where we can add value to the youth, to the adults, boys and girls,” Al Mulla explained.
With e-sports being considered for inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the initiative is particularly timely. Al Mulla expressed confidence that the facility would help nurture a strong national team in collaboration with the Qatar Olympic Committee and its e-sports federations, under a three-year agreement with Qatar Media City that he expects will be extended.
“I believe e-sports is the new era in sport,” Al Mulla said. “We are all in one boat, promoting Qatar, showcasing Qatar through the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.”
