I started this series to discuss the Qatar World Cup "from bid to the bisht" by saying that since the tournament ended, we have witnessed an avalanche of praise for every aspect of its planning, organization and implementation.
In the previous part of the series, I described how Qatar overcame the challenges and delivered the World Cup on time and to specification, which is all the more impressive when we consider that this was done in a region where construction projects are characterized by poor management and delays. As I said before, hosting a FIFA World Cup is an unimaginably complex and demanding project that deserves a huge amount of recognition. Although Qatar was able to handle it, it was flooded with sudden hatred and negativity, especially as the world came to Doha to watch the World Cup, even though those behind the tournament would know it was too late to cancel or another country to host it at the last minute. So I will talk about the negative opinions about the tournament in this part, as well as the events during the World Cup.
Just like the blockade, it seems the aim was simply to cause chaos and disruption. We had the preposterous claim that Qatar had bribed the Ecuador team with $7.4 million in order to throw the opening game, the basis of which was a tweet by an unknown "expert" which went viral and was, sadly, relayed by many major news organizations. Then there was the absurd claim that the fans were not genuine and were being paid to attend. There was also the rage at the ban on alcohol (which was only to be at the matches and not, as reported, a blanket one), the decision for the World Cup to be held in the winter and not the summer, the ban on the propagation of LQBTQ, and other issues related to women’s rights and worker’s rights, as well. Some television networks deliberately chose to not show the opening ceremony and instead aired their own commentators' bitter and prejudiced commentary on the arrangements and preparation. Of course, some of these criticisms are not without merit, but one has to question the aggressive manner in which they were brought up and why they occurred just as the tournament was starting.
Much of this was instigated by certain Western media outlets. However, some, amazingly, came from countries that have more or less the same customs, culture and religious traditions as Qatar.
Another storm passed, and the football and festivities began. And what a tournament it was! The sheer quality of the football mesmerized the world and silenced the critics – perhaps due in part to the fact that the World Cup being held in the winter and not in the summer after a long season meant that players were fresher and fitter. Words cannot express or encompass what we have been treated to. The opening ceremony was an absolute extravaganza of Qatari, Arabic and international culture and hospitality, with its theme being one of unity, harmony, and the need to make the most of this historic opportunity for mutual recognition and understanding.
Every game was introduced by a dazzling fireworks-laden pre-match ceremony, with a unique theme for every game based on the teams playing and their history and culture as their national flags were unfurled. And as for the football, then from the outset, it was absolutely scintillating. The group stages, with their record attendances, were their own mini-tournaments, with an unbelievable level of drama, excitement, hope, and anguish. Most of us, including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, cannot recall ever seeing a better group stage. Saudi Arabia set the world alight and the tone for giant-killing by beating mighty Argentina. Ghana, Tunisia and Cameroon played mesmerizing football and showed the world just how much African football has progressed with wins over South Korea, France and Brazil, but then dashed our hopes by just falling short of qualifying for round two.
Belgium, Denmark and Germany all shocked us by crashing out at the group stages. Australia played smooth football and stunned us all by progressing beyond the group stages. Japan, whose captivating football was matched by the charm and politeness of their fans slayed giants Germany and Spain, making our hearts stop beating while we waited to see if their goal against Spain counted, but then breaking our hearts by losing to Croatia on penalties in round two. The Netherlands equalized against Argentina with literally the last kick of a game which was one of the most dramatic ever in World Cup history, only to lose on penalties.
As for Morocco – the team of the tournament for many and definitely the one that won the hearts of the world – they exceeded all expectations by topping a group from which they were not even expected to qualify by beating mighty Belgium on the way. They then beat Spain in the second round and Portugal in the quarterfinals before bowing out in defeat to France in the semifinals despite being the better team.
This Moroccan side will never be forgotten; their beautiful, fearless football, humble celebrations and public honoring of their mothers engraved them in history. They were probably the best-supported team in history with probably every Qatari citizen and resident. I think every Arab, every African and every Muslim on the planet supports them. They did not see Morocco as a foreign team; they loved them as their very own. This valiant Moroccan side showed the world that they can match any team, and with African football entering a golden era, a whole host of African teams know that they can match whatever Morocco has done. Morocco raised the bar such that the term underdog in any World Cup has now lost its meaning; nobody will ever come to the World Cup finals again merely to make up the numbers.
This World Cup has shown that the margins between the elite European and South American teams and those in Africa and Asia are now finer than ever. When the first African team lifts the World Cup trophy at a date that is probably far closer than many of us think, the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 will be seen as a major milestone.
Then came the closing ceremony, which was an ideal summation not just of the World Cup itself but of the entire journey that Qatar has undertaken. Amid the celebration and jubilation due to the achievement came the perfect response to the enviers and the treacherous: those who did not want to see the success, those with an agenda, those who saw everything that was good but wanted to focus on and magnify the bad – in short, the resentful and ungracious. These qualities were summed up in two examples of Arabic poetry that could only be appreciated in the original language and context, but the message was delivered to the world nonetheless. The first was by the classical Islamic jurist Imam al-Shafi’i, where he addresses two eyes: the one that is content, and therefore recognizes and appreciates what it sees and overlooks small errors, and the eye of the discontent, which searches for every fault and minor mistake. The theme of this poem was the measurement of the same item by two different scales, based on a diseased outlook. Al-Shafi’i’s response to such people was that he would not dignify the one who does not respect him, nor recognize the one who does not recognize him. This was the perfect response to those who, despite witnessing everything positive in this World Cup, could not see any of it.
The second poem was by the founder of the modern state of Qatar: Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammad Al Thani, where he stated that we (the Qatari people) disregard those who do not fulfill their promise of support – those who make promises when we are fine but abandon us when we are in need. His response to them was that we continue on our path, even if there are those with us who try to pull us back. We will not fear, not halt, nor delay, and with us is our Lord, and with reliance upon Him, we shall reach our destination regardless. We will pay no heed to those who grumble or rebuke, nor to how mammoth the obstacles may be. This, with the authors as deliberately selected as the content, was a very direct and specific message – in Bedouin poetry – to those from their own skin who should have been with Qatar all the way in this campaign but who, instead, chose to be deceitful. This also summed up the spirit, resolve and attitude of Qatar, from its foundation to today when dealing with its local adversaries. It is as if, from its inception, Qatar has known that this would be a common theme running throughout its history.
If the entire history of Qatar’s attitude could be summed up in two poems, classic and contemporary, it would be in these two.
On what happened to be – scripted or otherwise – Qatar’s National Day, we were treated to what was arguably the best World Cup final ever. This game is usually a very tense affair due to both teams being so tantalizingly close to the sport’s most coveted prize, but this one was different. We were treated to an absolute feast: six goals, end-to-end football, and a hat trick for France’s amazing Kylian Mbappe, undoubtedly a megastar of the future. But there was only going to be one winner in this World Cup: Lionel Messi. He led his side from the front to win two historic prizes: a third World Cup for Argentina, and a victory over lifelong rival Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest players of their generation.
Messi was crowned king by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, by being draped in an exquisite Arabian bisht that was as flawless as the tournament had been: transparent enough to not obscure Messi’s shirt underneath, while at the same time enough to distinguish him as the player of the tournament and a history-maker. One of the most iconic photographs in history – that of Lionel Messi holding aloft sport’s most sought-after prize – features the Arabian bisht. History was well and truly made.
This was the first World Cup that Argentina, a country of 46 million people, has won outside Latin America, and Qatar has captured the hearts of every single person from that country, forever. Qatar will always be associated with this historic triumph. After we saw Lionel Messi donning the bisht, Argentina’s fans went on a shopping spree in Doha and every type of Arabian clothing available was sold out. We have even seen murals of the great Diego Maradona in an Arabian ghutra (headdress) in Buenos Aires. Qatar won the whole Argentine nation over with its hospitality and professionalism, and the fact that the Messi-Ronaldo historical duel was solved in Qatar enshrines the legacy of Qatar 2022 forever in every Argentine’s heart.
This was a fitting end to a unique project. I will be describing some of the astounding auxiliary aspects of the tournament as well as how all this was made possible in the concluding part of this three-part series.
