In the Qatari capital Doha, tens of thousands of football supporters had flocked to the Al Bidda Park for the opening of the World Cup, a green strip near the beach where the world football association FIFA has set up the main fan zone. Hours before the start of the opening ceremony, long queues lined up at the entrances.
On the grounds, opposite a huge screen, it was busy but pleasant. And it remained pleasant, almost resignedly without singing or shouting, after it became clear that Qatar had no chance against Ecuador in the opening game: 0-2.
Beer drinkers were so outnumbered that they soon had enough. Tufts of fans, mainly from South America and Europe, moved between audiences from North Africa, Saudi Arabia and, of course, Qatar.
Human rights
The geographically small Qatar wants to present itself as a superpower at its ‘own’ World Cup football, but is already on the verge of elimination – the team is still waiting for games against Senegal and the Netherlands.
After the country previously faced accusations of human rights violations in the construction of World Cup accommodations, it now fell through the basket in a sporting sense. Qatar is the first ever host country to lose in the opening game of a World Cup.
Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani envisioned a scenario in which he would be the celebrated man of the evening. In a state-of-the-art stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, Qatar welcomed the world on Sunday with a slick opening ceremony. With a show of seven different acts in which music and dance were central, the country tried to radiate that it values inclusivity and diversity. “Football unites the world,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The cheering Qataris in their white thobes are constantly spreading that message. But even now that the World Cup has started, a group of European countries – including the Netherlands – continue to draw attention to all the suffering this tournament has caused, to the emir’s chagrin.
200 billion euros
It was a day the host country had long awaited since its allocation in 2010. Over the past 12 years, the government has put together an elaborate plan to convince the world that a small country like Qatar is capable of hosting the biggest sporting event in the world. to accommodate the world.
More than 200 billion euros were allocated to build seven new football stadiums, media centers, an airport, hotels, subways and roads for the World Cup. The facilities had to be better than ever. If the opening game at Al-Bayt Stadium is a barometer for the rest of the tournament, Qatar is fulfilling that self-imposed assignment.
The air-conditioned Al-Bayt Stadium can in many ways compete with the best stadiums in the world. But the ‘Al-Bayt’ in Al Khor has in recent years symbolized the appalling conditions under which it was built. Construction came to a halt in 2019 after a workers’ strike, much to the chagrin of the World Cup organization. Salaries had not been paid for six to eight months.
Two days before the World Cup, it suddenly became known that alcohol sales in the stadiums had been restricted after all. Against the wishes of sponsor Budweiser. FIFA, through president Gianni Infantino, expressed support for Qatar at a press conference before the start of the tournament. The West – part of Europe and North America – was accused by him of “hypocrisy” and having “double standards”. Earlier, the emir already spoke of “a smear campaign that no country has ever experienced”.
Qatar is the first host country to suffer defeat in an opening game at a World Cup
This is how the World Cup started under high tension. Numerous Land Cruisers drove side by side on the newly constructed highway from Doha to Al Khor early in the afternoon with the dark red and white flag of Qatar stuck out of the window. A single Maserati or Lamborghini managed to squeeze through the procession, honking its horn.
First World Cup in Arab World
The dark red and white of Qatar was also visible everywhere in the Al Bidda park in Doha, as well as many shirts from Mexico, Brazil, Tunisia and Morocco. How could it be otherwise, at the kick-off of the first World Cup in the Arab world. However, if you looked closely, you could see that the vast majority of Qatari flags, shirts and hats were worn by young men from South Asian countries. They make up the largest part of the population in Doha. They also formed the main part of the football audience.
Such as Dijo Joseph and Aron Philip John, two thirtysomethings from Kerala, an Indian state known for its passionate football fans. Joseph and John, one with a wig in the colors of Qatar and the other with a Qatari flag around his shoulders, have been working as IT people in Doha for 6 years. “That is why we are for Qatar,” says Joseph at halftime. He has tickets for Mexico-Poland and continues to go to the fan zone as often as possible. “I only experience a World Cup in my city once.”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of November 21, 2022