Qatar welcomed 1.4 million visitors during the World Cup, a competition that had a cumulative stadium attendance of 3.4 million, with an average of 53,000 people per game, the organization announced today.

The eight stadiums that hosted the competition, which ran from November 20 to Sunday, were less than an hour's drive from downtown Doha, making it possible for fans to watch more than one game a day live, and contributing to a total sports venue occupancy rate of more than 96%.

In 2010, we told the world to expect something great, and we kept that promise. It was an incredible edition of the World Cup, which will influence the work of future organizations," said Hassan Al Thawadi, chairman of the organizing committee quoted by Lusa.

Thawadi assured that Qatar is "proud to have hosted a World Cup that is close, compact, accessible and family-friendly," and added: "The tournament has provided an unprecedented space for cultural exchange. Fans from all over the world came into contact with Arab and Qatari culture for the first time?

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, used his Twitter social network account to thank and congratulate FIFA and the organization for the ?success? of the first soccer World Cup held in an Arab country, considering that Doha ?fulfilled its promise and held an exceptional World Cup?

In several ?tweets?, the emir also thanked all the supporters, volunteers, institutions and ministries that ?contributed to the success of the tournament and to show Qatar and the Arab world, in a dignified way, to millions and millions of spectators around the world?

Several Qatari and Arab media outlets highlight the ?success? of the World Cup, which ended with Argentina's victory, but some again denounce Western criticism of human and labor rights abuses.