I arrived in Qatar two days before the opening match, Qatar v Ecuador.
One thing is for sure, Doha certainly looks like it is hosting a World Cup right now - all the branding is in place, and fans have arrived in their thousands - but the atmosphere in the city isn’t quite right.
The Argentinians have arrived from America, alongside the Ecuadoreans and Mexicans. The Moroccans, Tunisians and Saudis are also here, having made a much shorter journey.
Fans congregate at Souq Waqif, the Corniche, and the fan festival, but there's tension in the air.
There’s a real clash of narratives that becomes obvious once you reach Doha.
One is from the region itself, that it is proud to host the tournament in the Middle East for the first time, proud in its clear Arab identity. This is the ‘Arab Woodstock’ after all.
The other is the Western narrative, that criticises the host for the way the tournament’s infrastructure was built over the past few years - the violation of human rights, the rights of minorities, and more.
In fact this tension almost overcame the event itself, but the football has started. So, after the first set of games, here are my picks.
يا هلا فيك يا أكرم، يا هلا فيكم يا أهل قطر 🇶🇦 pic.twitter.com/5SYdYdcoZE
— Uri Levy (@Levyninho) November 18, 2022
Qatar: the disappointment
During the build up to this World Cup, Qatar we’re emerging as one of the most interesting prospects in world football.
The wait for the opening game to see Felix Sanchez’s work was huge, and so was the disappointment from their display.
The 2-0 loss to Ecuador, with fans leaving the Al Bayt Stadium just 52 minutes in, was bad. And disappointing.
Iran’s national anthem: the moment
It was known, everyone was waiting for it. But when the Iranian players stayed silent during their national anthem, while tens of thousands of Iranian fans booed from the stands, it was a powerful moment.
It was all in recognition of the Mahsa Amini protests in the country, and was one of the strongest and most powerful political moments in World Cup history.
🇮🇷Iran's players protested against their country's rules and didn't sing the national anthem https://t.co/JFP7jwinOB
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) November 21, 2022
Saudi Arabia and Japan: the surprise
Saudi Arabia rocked the world when they beat Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
They did so with great spirit and ability, and mainly thanks to Herve Renard, Mohammed Al Owais, Ali Al Bulayhi, Salem Al Dawsari and the 50,000 fans who turned Qatar into ‘little Saudi’.
Japan also surprised many as they beat Germany in dramatic fashion, putting on a display themselves.
Salem Al Dawsari: the player
A trademark goal against Argentina in the World Cup. Al Dawsari was everywhere this week. Absolutely amazing.
Great atmosphere at Lusail Stadium
— BabaGol (@BabaGol_) November 22, 2022
🇸🇦🆚🇦🇷#FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/z5BT8X3XGd
Hello, World!
Canada. Pure fun and innocence: the game
There is something about a team that returns to the World Cup after so many years, 36 to be precise, but Canada’s return was so much more than just that.
The style, the heart, and the talent, made almost anyone who watched their match fall in love.
