Aspetar Magazine 2026

55 ASPETAR MAGAZINE SPECIAL REPORT Long before Aspetar became a trusted partner for FIFA and international federations, its future global role was being shaped by a small group of leaders who believed that elite sport deserved a new standard of medical and performance care. Among them, Dr Hakim Chalabi, Assistant Director General for International Medical Affairs at Aspetar, has played a central role. A sports medicine physician with more than three decades of experience at the highest level, Dr Chalabi helped build Aspetar’s international outlook from its earliest years. His leadership roles have included establishing national sports medicine programmes and guiding Aspetar’s multidisciplinary strategy, laying the groundwork for the hospital’s evolution into a global reference centre for football medicine. As one of Aspetar’s most senior leaders and founders, his strategic thinking helped define the institution’s philosophy, structure, and long-term direction. Many of the systems that now support World Cups across continents can be traced back to these formative years. In this conversation, Dr Hakim reflects on how those foundations were laid, and how they continue to shape Aspetar’s influence today. Strategic Legacy: A Conversation with Dr Hakim