‘It’s absolutely fantastic’: visiting fans shrug off Qatar negativity

Souq Waqif, the busiest current market in the Qatari capital Doha, is the unofficial focal place for the Fifa Globe Cup, a put for traveling to supporters to mingle, take selfies, consume tea and engage in great-natured sporting discussion.

From Argentina admirers in blue-and-white Arab headdresses to Cameroonians putting on capes embroidered in their countrywide colours of purple, yellow and inexperienced, supporters have crowded into its narrow streets and alleys, creating anything of a United Nations of football.

“Going down to the souk, you see all the folks strolling about from 32 various nationalities,” mentioned Paul Williams, who experienced travelled to Qatar to assistance Wales. “It’s been totally excellent.”

The run-up to the Qatar Environment Cup was dominated by western media scrutiny over the Gulf state’s unsuitability as a host, corruption claims and its human rights failures, notably its ill-treatment method of migrant workers and intolerance of homosexuality.

The tournament’s opening times appeared to ensure the worst fears, with specialized glitches locking lovers out of stadiums, supporters arriving to discover their lodging unfinished, and a high-profile row over no matter if players should really use the rainbow armbands that encourage variety.

Still many fans in Qatar have shrugged off such controversies. Immediately after shelling out massive sums of revenue to journey to the Gulf, they have most popular to enable the football — like thrilling matches these kinds of as Saudi Arabia’s shock earn around two-time champions Argentina and Australia’s shock development to the knock-out phases — eclipse problems more than human legal rights and any troubles in purchasing alcoholic beverages in the conservative Muslim modern society.

“I just believe there’s been a ton of scaremongering in the media,” Terry John, another Wales admirer, explained of the negativity that surrounded the match. “We’ve had a great time.”

The unprecedentedly compact Earth Cup, with seven of the 8 stadiums in just the money of the Gulf monarchy of 3mn individuals, has transformed the admirer experience as opposed with prior tournaments. Even the city’s new 76km gentle railway system has develop into a put for lovers to meet up with and swap tales.

The condensed schedule has permitted guests to cram in a lot of video games in just a few times. Some Earth Cup regulars are starting to glimpse at the host cities for the 2026 match — spread above the US, Canada, Mexico — and groan at the prospect of hours put in in airports.

Fil Sollof, a firm director from England, has been capable to choose in 10 Earth Cup matches in nine days. “We’re here for football, so we’re either in the stadium observing matches, observing matches in bars or sleeping,” he explained.

Qatar’s eleventh-hour choice to ban the sale of alcohol all-around stadiums drew adverse headlines, with booze typically observed as central to soccer fans’ match day working experience. Nevertheless quite a few in Qatar say it has contributed to a much less intense tone around matches and a spouse and children helpful ambiance.

“It isn’t this kind of a undesirable thing we do not have alcohol [at stadiums],” Williams claimed.

For those in the company hospitality suites, the alcoholic beverages rule transform has experienced no affect: high-quality wines and chilly beers have been easily available in advance of, in the course of and after matches. Chauffeur driven vehicles have also been on hand to zip company from 1 recreation to the future, enabling the effectively-heeled to binge-enjoy soccer in luxury.

Qatari officers are mindful that there is nevertheless considerably to do for the World Cup to be considered a results. There have been empty seats at some matches, warnings around group command, which include a surge of people at one supporter zone, and the confiscation of professional-LGBT+ hats and flags the authorities interpreted as political symbols.

The Hayya app essential to enter Qatar has also suffered glitches, resulting in some supporters to pass up flights. In the United Arab Emirates, exactly where lots of supporters have based on their own, verify-in workers mentioned some people today were not capable to board each individual Doha-sure flight for the reason that of documentation problems.

Qatar hopes less games in the knockout phrase of the match that starts on Saturday will absolutely free up hotel and hospitality area for individuals enthusiasts presently there or arriving, maximizing the World Cup working experience additional.

Abu Ghasem, a Sudanese expatriate, also pointed out that Qatar’s visa routine intended extra website visitors from the “global south” ended up able to attend than would have been probable if the host had been one particular of Europe’s regular footballing powers.

Omar Taysir, a Jordan-centered college student draped in the Palestinian flag, stated the authorities experienced been welcoming and his entry to the state seamless in contrast with prior struggles to enter the British isles on a scholarship.

Other enthusiasts have noted how this Entire world Cup has felt protected, compared with their visits to other huge metropolitan areas for football gatherings. “We’ve not been worried about criminal offense these types of as pickpockets,” stated Benjamin Lim, 42, a lawyer from London. “And the relative lack of alcoholic beverages indicates I’m also not anxious about my mother and father who are in their seventies.”

Absent from the football, guests have been ready to take pleasure in some of Qatar’s tourist attractions, from “dune-bashing” in a 4×4 across the desert, traveling to Doha’s museums and the carnival ambiance in the souk.

Amin Chhaiba, a 27-12 months-outdated Moroccan-Italian, stated he escaped the “fog and cold” of his indigenous Bologna soon after securing tickets to 7 Globe Cup matches in 4 days. “It’s a relatives helpful ecosystem, a very good position to provide young children,” he stated as he frequented Doha’s national library on a split amongst video games.

Chris Ayres, a monetary analyst from the US, agreed that the Entire world Cup experienced “brought a lot of folks together”.

“It’s been a great encounter, almost everything has been cleanse and I’ve felt totally protected just about everywhere,” he stated. “Minus those people whose crew is acquiring a rough sport, everyone’s content to be here.”