QATAR HOSTS A WORLD CUP FOR THE AGES

Fans arrived in Qatar expecting to watch quality football. In return, they not only watched high octane football for a month at the best of stadiums, they also got to see the real side of Qatari hospitality and how rich the Middle Eastern culture really is. Qatar threw the best ever World Cup party, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino

QATAR’S Amir His Highness

Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad

Al Thani waving the Saudi Arabian flag when their team stunningly beat Argentina 2-1 in their opening clash on November 22, 2022 at a packed Lusail Stadium was a freeze frame that symbolized friendship, honour and common love of football between the two neighbouring countries. When tens of thousands of nonArgentine Messi fans – sporting the popular number 10 jerseys – converged at the eight FIFA World Cup 2022 venues and Fan Zones set up across the country, it was another symbolic gesture that the game’s showpiece tournament in Qatar was bringing the world together. The same frenzy was witnessed on the streets, at the shopping malls and on buses and trains throughout the tournament.

For England players and fans, the trophy didn’t come home but a stray cat did. Defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones – both of them featured in the 2-1 loss to France in the quarter-finals – adopted a stray cat they found at their training base in Al Wakrah. Stones and Walker named the cat Dave who is going through veterinary clinic tests and vaccinations before it spends four months in quarantine.

On the pitch, Lionel Messi, 35, doing his magic for Argentina and World Cup hero Kylian Mbappe managing another wonderful event for France exhibited football of the highest order. Messi – the football icon of our times – and 23-yearold Mbappe – with the world at his feet – made sure more than a million ticket holders were happy that the money spent to come to Qatar was worth the effort.

Frenchwoman Stephanie Frappart made history when she headed an allwoman referee team for the Germany vs Costa Rica clash during the group stage matches at Al Bayt Stadium. It was the first time that FIFA put together a women's team to headline a FIFA World Cup match to rousing cheer from the fans during Germany's 4-2 win on December 1.

Two days before the final between Argentina and France, FIFA President Gianni Infantino thanked the FIFA World

Cup Qatar 2022 volunteers, describing them as the "heart and soul" of the tournament. The FIFA President was speaking at the Volunteer Celebration Event, held at the FIFA Fan Festival on Doha's famous Corniche.

"You are the best volunteers ever for the best World Cup ever, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, from all of those who love football, to all of you. You are fantastic," said the FIFA President, speaking from the FIFA Fan Festival stage. Infantino said that 400,000 people had initially applied to be FIFA World Cup volunteers and that only 20,000 were selected.

"Congratulations. You are the heart and soul of the World Cup and, most importantly, you are the face and the smile of the World Cup. You are the first person that people see when they come to this fantastic World Cup, and the last person they see when they leave. Your smile is making this World Cup what it is, which is the best ever."

"It's been phenomenal, it's been historical. You are a part of it, you are a part of history like nothing else," HE Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said at the same event. "Each one of you has planted a seed in the hearts and minds of people. You dedicated time, you dedicated effort, you dedicated sweat and tears." He added: "Every single one of you has made history."

Volunteers at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 were heart of the tournament's operations, providing support across a wide variety of areas in both official and non-official sites such as stadiums, training sites, airports, fan zones, hotels and the public transportation network. Away from the field, there was plenty of talk that centred around how Qatar emerged as wonderful hosts to break barriers of negativity. Prior to the start of the tournament, there was an obvious agenda-driven media blitz from the west to portray a negative image of a Muslim country hosting the FIFA World Cup for the first time in the tournament’s 92-year history. Whether it was the ban on premium beverages sales at match venues or organisers urging fans to respect the laws of the country, the western media were rightfully given a reminder that Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup was indeed a sport event that brought cheer and broke down barriers of sorts.

In one instance, veteran British media personality Piers Morgan slammed those criticizing Qatar’s decision to ban premium beverages sales at World Cup venues. The 57-year-old in a candid video chat – recorded during the 32-team tournament - said the West was unequivocally wrong to portray a negative image of Qatar where familyoriented communities thrive with common denominator being mutual respect, honour and close social bonding.

“For the past two weeks, there's been a negative narrative about this World Cup, and I have to say mostly from England. Here in Doha, reality feels very different. I have been a here for a few days now and found a thriving, cosmopolitan, sports-mad city and a stunning vantage point for the tournament (which was) played out in magnificent, purposeful stadiums that filled up with more every game,” Piers, a former journalist with the CNN and News of the World, said.

“From here in Qatar the tournament bears no resemblance to all the doom-mongering headlines back home (in England),” Morgan went on.

“Fans across the world are mingling happily. There's no sign of intoxicantfilled scenes of our own Euro finals at Wembley,” Morgan, who has more than 8 million followers on Twitter, explained in his video talk.