The time had finally come, 12 years after the most controversial World Cup hosts ever had been announced, the tournament in Qatar was finally underway. The build-up had been dogged by controversy since day one but this had ramped up over the last year. There were many issues including corruption, the treatment and oppression of women and homosexuals, human rights issues regarding migrant workers and even a switch to winter to avoid the stifling 50+ degree heat in summer. There was no doubt the tournament should never have been awarded to Qatar in the first place. Sadly the controversy surrounding the tournament meant the World Cup didn’t have the usual hype and excitement with even some players expressing their displeasure.
Any takers?
On telling friends I was going to Qatar, no one was surprised given my World Cup addiction but, as with Russia, once again trying to get people to join was difficult due to the constant media negativity. Despite understanding the reasons it still made me sad. For me the World Cup is not about politics and government policies. The World Cup is about football and people.
In Russia and Brazil the time was spent with people watching and enjoying the greatest event on the planet. In that time we were able to share and experience the culture of the host nation and those from other countries attending, as well as displaying a little of our own. Meeting the people only emphasizes how little governments really represent a country. How would we feel as British people to be judged abroad based on our conservative government? To quote the wisdom of Robbie Williams;
“If we didn’t travel to places with political issues then we would never leave our own kitchen”.
Why the World Cup is so special!
It is a melting pot of people from all corners of the globe living out a dream of following their country. Never will you see so much national pride and mixing of random cultures. For 5 weeks people can try to put the troubles of their daily lives behind them, live in this wonderful moment and pray that their dreams come true. Being there in person allows you to fully immerse in the experience and hope that you come home with an improved view and greater understanding of the country and culture that you have visited.
After a week in Turkey the time came for us to take our flights to Qatar via Beirut but we weren’t in the clear just yet. Casey had still yet to receive his luggage from the US and Migsy had the name on his ticket spelt incorrectly. As well as hearing horror stories of errors with the Visa (Al Hayya) and people being turned away upon landing, throw in some Covid test uncertainty and we were still nervous.
A change of luck
New country, new luck. Bags were found, tickets were waved through and we were set to board. 8 hours later we were landing in Doha with a plane full of Brazilians sings ‘mil goles’. Now it was real, nothing to get in our way, time to get properly excited. As a trio this was the 15th country we had visited together and my 55th. Always exciting to land somewhere new, particularly as this was a whole new region for me.
Thankfully due to Casey’s penchant for high standard accommodation we opted out of the Fan Villages and tents. Instead lumping for the £120 each per night apartments for the first few nights. Way above my preferred and affordable price range but we got our money’s worth at least. Air conditioned apartment with tremendous hospitality, service and everything you could need. With a convenience shop next door and close proximity to the metro, we were perfectly located.
Due to late arrival I only had time that evening to find my old buddy Thiago. A Brazilian friend and journalist who was living the dream reporting from within the Brazilian set-up staying in the same hotel and living every minute with the players. As part of his role he always had a couple of tickets to dish out. Having given him a nudge a few weeks earlier I was lucky enough that he had a couple he was happy to give to us for Brazils opener against Serbia the following night.
All had gone to plan, our luck had changed and we were settled nicely in our new apartment ready to explore in the morning and see what this country had in store.
Fresh as a daisy
It was only morning one but I was already feeling the benefits of limited alcohol in Qatar. After six days of drinking in Istanbul and sluggish late lie ins, we were up nice and early feeling fresh and ready to go for a run. We headed down to The Corniche, a waterfront promenade stretching for 7km down at Doha Bay, thankfully no dogs this time. The roads were closed and there was a calm quiet as we jogged along passed TV station bases and sculptures in the water that would form part of the Firework show that would begin once the melting sun went down.
For now the sun was out in force, a hot but not stifling 25 degrees, thankfully lacking the horrible humidity that can make even this temperature feel unbearable. Despite the tranquillity we bumped into some American lads and taught and them a bit about football.
We then met a young lad from Uganda, Claus, working on a stall. He was our first local interaction and didn’t hesitate to tell of the difficulties of life as an immigrant in Qatar. Low pay and cramped together in poor living conditions, he had done his stint working in construction and explained how after accommodation and food costs there was little left for them to enjoy life in Qatar.
Land of opportunity
To his credit, he came from a land with no opportunities and saw Qatar as a stepping stone to a better life. A chance to earn some money and step by step build a brighter future for himself. We bode our farewells and within a minute we were waiting to be on live Saudi TV. The empty promenades meant we were in high demand and we gave our mundane opinions on who was going to win the tournament while resisting the urge to do something controversial.
One of the beauties of the World Cup is making new friends from all around the world, but even better still is reuniting with old ones. As with Patrick in Brazil, and Glyn and Adam in Russia, Qatar was to be no different. On hearing that an old school buddy Dan Gwizdek, another Timperley veteran was living out in Qatar it made perfect sense to get in touch. 18 years on from our last meeting back at St Ambrose, our emotional reunion was in the setting of a paid fanzone which had been overtaken by the Brazilian fans ahead of that evening’s game.
A dear do
Now I said it was hard to find alcohol in Qatar, but it wasn’t that hard. Though with £20 entry to the event and £8 for a can of Budweiser, it wasn’t the cheapest. É a vida. Add to that the queuing system was very much in the Brazilian style, push forward, lean over others and shout loudly at the bar staff. I was getting flashbacks to the Copa America Semi Final against Argentina. But as always with the Brasileiros, they are all happy and friendly and my 973 Duolingo streak in Portuguese was enough for me to engage in some polite conversation, add to that having been taught all the Brazil songs a few years earlier and a good time was had by all.
Casey won the battle of most enthusiastic friend and therefore took the second ticket provided by Thiago. After a brief and pleasant interaction with the former CEO of Galatasaray we headed off to the game and jumped in an Uber with some Brazilians. It was clear on approach that this stadium was special and understandable why it had been selected for the Final. An added bonus for me getting this ticket was that a lifetime ambition is to visit the stadiums of all 22 World Cup Finals (or those still standing). This would take my total to 8 following Maracana (1950, 2014), Wembley (1966), Azteca Stadium (1970, 1986), Monumental (1978), Luzhniki (2018) and now the mighty Lusail, only 14 to go.
Casey’s World Cup debut
Thankfully entry was smooth and we spent a further £8 on a non-alcoholic beer before taking our seats, the placebo is real. Casey was buzzing to be at his first World Cup match and as a huge sports fan taking in every moment. What better team to start with than the ‘unico pentacampeao’. We had a great position near the ‘Movimento Verde Amarelo’. Just by the corner flag as we listened to the beautiful anthems, the intensity not quite reaching previous heights due to the sheer number of neutrals but still, always an awesome sight and my favourite anthem.
The first half saw one way traffic as Brazil moved the ball neatly, creating a couple of clear cut chances but unable to make the pressure count. The second half continued in the same vein as Brazil began to turn the screw. Chance after chance came and went, each time getting closer. Then finally, the deadlock was broken when Richarlison followed up a rebounded effort from Viniscius Jr. Right in front of the Brazil fans, the place erupted and four years of built up tension was released.
GOLACOOOOOOO!!!
Just 10 minutes later we had the pleasure of the prime position just behind Viniscius Jr as he crossed in to Richarlison. His initial wayward touch was instinctively turned into one of the greatest goals I have ever seen live as he swivelled and leapt up to volley the ball beyond the reach of Milinkovic-Savic in the Serbian goal. As the players rushed towards us it was one of those moments you will never forget and one I was so pleased to share with Casey on his first WC game.
Brazil continued to push but despite 23 attempts, it remained 2-0. The only negative of the evening was the injury to their Talisman Neymar, rumours of the severity weren’t yet known but there were certainly fears it was the end of the World Cup which seemed the last opportunity for him to put himself up there with the all-time greats.
As with all games, there was a live DJ after the completion of the game and we took this opportunity to celebrate with the fans decked out in yellow. Once into the mix of the party it seemed the majority of these guys were Asian fellas having the time of the life, amazing positive vibes and dancing followed for an hour or so, then for the journey home. With Lusail station being the end of the metro line, all 80,000 of the attendees would be heading in the same direction, this led to ridiculous queues and a rather unpleasant environment.
A long way home
We decided to try the Uber area which had long been emptied of taxis, long story short, with a 10 O’Clock kick off we didn’t arrive home until 4:30am but hey ho, not everything can run smoothly but we stayed in high spirits after finally kicking off my 3rd World Cup. Migs had taken himself to the main free fanzone to enjoy the festivities there. Declaring it as one of the best nights of his life. Proudly wearing his Mexican flag was an instant conversation starter and the positive festival style vibes meant it was a great evening shared watching footy and dancing at the post-match party. Day one complete and we were all set for the big one the following day. England vs USA.