So, how to sum up the most controversial World Cup in my memory? With a litany of issues leading up to the tournament as mentioned here. Qatar was destined to be remembered mainly for negative reasons. But as with all World Cups it is the media’s job to shed light on the negative aspects of a country and the circumstances of them hosting a tournament, and rightly so. Lamentably, I do feel they go too far in trying to turn every possible story or fact into a click bait headline knowing that negativity and controversy sells thus pushing a certain narrative.
There was never any interest to find positive aspects about Qatar as that wasn’t what sells papers. Sadly this took away greatly from the pre-tournament excitement that we love so much about the World Cup and so little media coverage was actually about the football. When the time finally came for the football to start it was a welcome relief.
What about the Football?
As a World Cup itself in terms of football, it did exactly what we expected. Entertained and captured the imagination of the world for a month. One of the many complaints about the World Cup was its timing. But what better way to fill the darkest, dreariest time of year. 4 games a day of world class football certainly beats the incessant bombardment of Christmas. As always there were wonderful stories and moments that bought people together in ways that only football can.
The ball really got rolling with Saudi beating Argentina in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, leading to endless ‘Where is Messi?’ memes…. he wouldn’t be gone for long. Countless dramatic finales in the knock out stages, familiar stories of ‘What could have been?’ for the likes of England and Brazil as well as other big failures with Belgium and Germany.
Atlas Lions
The most heart-warming story was Morocco’s brave and inspiring run to the Semi-Finals. A first for any Arab or African nation making them everybody’s second favourite team. What more fitting time for them to do so than in the first World Cup in an Arab country. And what more could we have asked for in a final. Two world powers, two world superstars who are clubmates at Qatari owned PSG carrying the hopes of their country….could they deliver…after 70 minutes it seemed not with Argentina leading 2-0 comfortably.
Up steps MBappe to instigate the most dramatic hour of sport that you will ever experience. The greatest game on the greatest stage, the world paused as it went to a penalty shoot-out. Emiliano Martinez was the hero in goal for Argentina leaving little known Gonzalo Montiel to send a nation of 45 million into a state of ecstasy. Their fans had dominated the tournament with their passion and enthusiasm, there was no match for their support. It simply meant more to them than others.
Written in the stars
With Messi at the helm and the late great Maradona looking down on them, there was only ever one outcome. The fact they made it so complicated in the end, that taste of despair as it nearly fell away, only added to the euphoria. As a neutral I’ve never felt my heart beating so fast, to imagine this was England would be beyond belief. A country with so many internal issues and problems was united like never before. Only football can do this, for the first time in 36 years the Albiceleste were Campeones del Mundo. THIS is what the World Cup is all about.
So what of Qatar as a host, after all the negative build up and 12 years of mind-blowing investment, how did they do?
When England won their first and only World Cup 56 years ago, this much maligned country was actually a protectorate of the British Empire until its independence 5 years later in 1971. Over the years the extensive oil and gas resources has given the country unimaginable riches. They have been able to build incredible infrastructure as well as increase their influence on the outside world. The controversial awarding of the world cup bought much negative light on the country but with no skulduggery proven, the decision stuck. On arrival in Qatar in becomes just another place, normal people going about their daily business. Whenever I have travelled in the past, I don’t judge the people or experience based on the political views of the government, how would I feel if people did this in the UK?
Limitless investment
In terms of infrastructure there will unlikely be another World Cup where a country would have to make such a significant investment to bring their facilities up to the required standard. The fantastic metro was a brand new introduction at a cost of an estimated $36 billion. This is a huge investment but one that will hold the country in good stead for the future laying the foundations for further development.
I’m not sure the same could be said for the stadiums. Estimates vary, but the cost of constructing them is rumoured to be up to $10 billion. 7 brand new arenas and the upgrade of the Khalifa International Stadium. An incredible monetary expense but much more significant is the cost to human life. Issues with the human rights of the construction workers on these projects was one of the great controversies of this World Cup. Given the fact that the majority of these stadiums will be of little use after the tournament, it only adds to the scale of the tragedy.
Was it as good as previous World Cups?
With this being my third world cup I feel well placed to compare Qatar to Russia and Brazil as a host nation. Two days before the start of the competition the Qatari government overturned a previous decision and ruled that the sale of alcohol within the grounds of the stadium would be forbidden, much to the dismay of the majority of the visiting fans. With all decisions there are pro’s and cons, the biggest frustration was the timing but it is what it is. There were of course places to buy alcohol around the city but it was certainly a lot more effort, and a lot more expensive. Other than the main fanzone, if you were to drink then it would be away from the general public which takes away from the spirit of enjoying the local atmosphere.
There were certainly many positives to this being the driest World Cup in history. The biggest headline was that there were no arrests for England and Wales fans during the tournament, yet there were only three in Russia so it does not indicate there was a massive problem anyway. It did though, make for a much more family friendly environment. It also seemed appropriate when mixing with locals. Dancing in the crowds at the post match concerts was still a hugely entertaining affair but would the presence of alcohol allowed us to dance freely with the locals, I suspect not as they would have been uncomfortable in that environment. There was certainly no moment in the tournament where it ever seemed there may be trouble amongst fans, and as my wise mother said on my return, at least you remember it all this time.
However…
On the flipside, well, I like a drink, of course I have complete respect for the rules of the country and that it is not possible to drink in public places and the majority of restaurants. And of course we can all still have a good time without a few beers but there were so many beautiful settings with enjoyable vibes where it would have been lovely to have a beer or two, or six. It was possible to do this in hotels but this then takes away from the authentic experience of the country.
One of the most positive aspects of World Cups is the friendly happy nature, but they are more often than not passing moments. Whereas after a few beers we all become a lot more talkative and the most interactive moments we had were after a bit of libation with some Morrocans and Mexicans. It certainly had less ‘stories’ and the day to day was much more uneventful, everything was pleasant but a lot more predictable and dare I say, boring. People were napping on the bus journeys to the game, a far cry from some of the entertaining pre match drinking in the past. Equally the post-match plans was generally a case of heading back home to bed, mainly as I went to 10pm kick offs but also due to little other options. It certainly lacked the drama, jeopardy or sense of adventure of previous tournaments.
Lack of variety
The whole World Cup being in pretty much one city has many benefits, no real requirement for changing accommodation, becoming familiar with routine and understanding the area. Personally for me, the travel journeys only add to the dramas, stories and experiences, arriving in new cities that can be completely different from one to the next.
Brazil had the indigenous Manaus, predominantly black Salvador, the German South and the melting pot of Sao Paulo to name a few. There is a joy of experiencing different sides to a country and learning a little about all aspects. Whereas Qatar had, well, Qatar. It certainly lacked that depth and interest. Don’t get me wrong, Doha was a beautiful city in many ways with a lot to admire and respect but the lack of variety is certainly a downfall. As we expect FIFA to go with shared World Cups going forward, fortunately I don’t think will ever be an issue again.
Lack of identity
As we all know, the host location is one of the key ingredients to the success of a World Cup, another key factor is the fans. One joy of this World Cup was the enthusiasm of the local people. By local I should clarify what I mean. Likely not Qatari’s but people living and working there, many of the staff and volunteers we spoke to in a variety of shops, restaurants and café’s etc were from the Philippines, India, Bangladesh and several African countries.
They were all incredibly friendly and a pleasure to be around, enhancing the experience for all that interacted with them. Sadly many we spoke to were unable to actually go to any games, likely due to pricing but also by the long hours they were required to work during the tournament. Such a shame that FIFA were unable to find the right balance. Many stadiums were not full during the group stages and so many people who worked hard to make it all possible could have been offered the opportunity to attend.
Fan boycott
Sadly however, there were many cases of a lack of fans from certain countries, particularly European nations. While you couldn’t walk two minutes without seeing fans from Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, I barely recall bumping into any fans from Germany, Belgium, Denmark etc. This in part will be down to the huge cost of attending but as I say this didn’t prevent the Latino’s. It was predominantly due to the fact it was Qatar and the political issues which were felt a lot more significantly in Europe. A real shame that any fan should ever be put in a position where they should feel political or moral issues are in the way of them enjoying watching their team compete. Hopefully something that FIFA will learn from and improve but faith in them prioritising morals over money is low.
Despite all the issues and background, this was still the greatest show on earth with a unique feeling. The local fans bought a very different vibe to proceedings. They supported and watched with a certain innocence, without the hardened anger and aggression we often see and feel in our English stadiums. They were happy and loving every minute of the opportunity to represent their region. Songs were sung with wrong words and incorrect intonations, certainly not your typical ‘proper football people’, but they enjoyed in their own way.
For me this is one of the beauties of the World Cup and entering new regions, although they had no football history or culture, they have as much right as anyone to enjoy the experience in whichever way they choose. They certainly added to the beautiful atmosphere that the World Cup always brings. The wonderful feeling is usually restricted to the stadiums, but for Qatar is was the whole country as everyone knew why you were there.
A unique feeling
A freedom to walk down the street knowing you could say hello, remark on someone’s country or fist pump anyone knowing it will be met with a positive reaction. The small things in life that bring a smile to your face, brighten your day and help you to be the nicest, friendliest version of yourself. The World Cup is a collection of people living out life time dreams supporting and representing their countries with pride. It is a rare feeling in life which is always such a pleasure before returning to the hard-faced reality of European life.
All in all, it was a pleasure to visit Qatar for another World Cup. Despite the issues in the build up to the tournament, personally, I avoid judgement based on political issues and try and see the reality of what a country is like. This doesn’t take away from the problems of the country which sadly don’t seem to come into the thinking of FIFA. Hopefully from all of this, the scrutiny that has been placed on the country will lead to improvements going forward, only time will tell. I must admit, of the 3 I have been to this was my least favourite. The lack of variety of cities, the lack of alcohol and the fact it is not a ‘football’ country certainly counted against them. Did I have a good time? Yes. Am I in a rush to return? No, and certainly not for football.
In recent posts I have reviewed specific club teams as a footy trip but here I will review the country as a whole
Summary
Ability – They have one club, Al Sadd, who have won the Asian Champions League on a couple of occasions but little else – 2/10
Atmosphere – Stadiums will be next to empty for club games so will no doubt be an eerie experience – 1/10
Stadium Quality – Arguably the best place in the world for brand new stadiums – 9/10
Beer/Food at stadium – Again, not a high scorer, there will be no beer going forward and the food wasn’t anything to write home about– 3/10
Tourism in the city – A small place but with more depth than I expected, plenty of places to enjoy and things to do in the country – 7/10
Accessibility – Bloody expensive to get there and not a whole lot cheaper once you arrive – 2/10
People – The general vibe is friendly and intriguing and the migrant workers were always pleasant – 6/10
Stadium Surroundings – Most stadiums are away from anything particularly interesting – 2/10
Football History – Until recently zero, but now they are one of only 17 countries to host a World Cup and will be forever remembered as the country in which Messi was officially crowned the greatest of all time. Other than the world cup, naff all – 5/10
Ease/Cost of ticket pricing – I’m certain you will have no difficulty bagging yourself a ticket to an Al-Rayyan match in the 40,000 Ahmed Bin Ali stadium – 10/10
Total – 46/100
Personal Accomplishments
England major Tournaments – 5
World Cups – 3
England games – 13
World Cup games – 17
Countries watched football in – 17 (9%)
Countries visited – 55 (28%)