The FIFA World Cup mantle has been officially passed to Qatar ©Getty Images

Qatar 2022 chief executive Hassan Al Thawadi has vowed the next edition of the World Cup will build on the success of Russia 2018 as the mantle was officially passed to the Gulf nation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin handed over to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, at a ceremony held before the final between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has praised Russia for their successful hosting of the World Cup, was also in attendance at the ceremony.

Putin claimed he was confident Qatar would hold a World Cup "on the same level" as Russia as he pledged the country's support to the Emirate nation.

"Russia is handing over the relay baton for hosting the FIFA World Cup to Qatar," Putin, who watched the final alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, said.

"We are proud of what we did for fans of this wonderful sport. 

"We ourselves, the whole country, got an enormous amount of pleasure from interacting with soccer, with the world of soccer, with the fans who came here from all over the globe.

"I’m sure that our friends from Qatar will be able to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the same high level. 

"We are, of course, ready to share the experience we acquired in holding the World Cup this year, along with our friends."

Al Thawadi told Russian state-owned television channel RT that Russia 2018 had given Qatar 2022 "big boots to fill" but expressed his confidence in their preparations.

The Emir of Qatar and Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the handover ceremony ©Getty Images
The Emir of Qatar and Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the handover ceremony ©Getty Images

The build-up to the 2022 tournament in Qatar, considered a controversial choice when it was chosen to host the event in December 2010, has been plagued by human rights concerns.

Qatar 2022 have also been forced to move the competition to November and December to combat high temperatures.

"We’re embracing the pressure," Al Thawadi said.

"There’s no platform like the World Cup to break down stereotypes.

"Russia has hosted a fantastic tournament. 

"If ever there was a tournament that has quintessentially transformed people’s minds, from human interaction, Russia did it.

"We believe in the transformational power that Russia has succeeded in doing.

"It’s big boots to fill, but we’re confident we can do it.

"It will be a more successful tournament [in Qatar] because we’ll be building it on the back of this success."