The World Cup of Fear. This is what the 22nd edition of the 2022 World Cup looked like, awarded by FIFA to Qatar in 2010. After a little less than a month of competition between November 20 and December 18, and a final in apotheosis between the Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Kylian Mbappé’s France (3-3, 4 TAB to 2), it’s time to take stock. If the controversies have multiplied in the wealthy gas emirate, it is difficult to say that the Qatari organizers have been all wrong over the past four weeks, far from it.
In this country where human rights are violated, migrant workers are exploited (the death of many of them – 6,500 according to The Guardian – on the construction sites of the stadiums is obviously in everyone’s memory), the persecuted homosexuals and even the environmental questions often ignored, the supporters wondered what sauce they were going to be eaten once they arrived in Qatar. In the end, everything went well overall for the 1.2 million fans who made the trip to Qatar, a peninsula of 12,000 km² with 2.9 million inhabitants.
Despite a few hiccups, supporters safe and satisfied
The flow of supporters around the stadiums was carried out without any particular hitch throughout the World Cup, in particular due to an XXL security system. Even if some transport problems, as happens almost everywhere, were responsible for the slight delay of some people at the stadium. Fans present for the final at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, for example, told us about the major difficulties encountered in transport on the day of the final.
« Queuing specialistsslips a slightly bitter Nicolas. A good 40 minute wait to get into the station to go to the stadium due to metros running intermittently. » But the brand new Qatari speakers were generally relatively easy to access. The many fans who made the trip, sometimes at the last minute, as for the French, the Moroccans and the Argentinians, also had no great difficulty in getting to the country, except for a few hours late flight.
Controversies quickly extinguished
On the spot, no scandal concerning housing broke out and the cheapest places of temporary residence chosen by football lovers were reported as rather correct. The 220 billion euros spent by Qatar for the organization of its World Cup, whether for stadiums, hotels, housing, airports or even the metro, have therefore concretely borne fruit. “Everything we were told about the Qataris is falseeven testifies a supporter to France info about welcoming locals. I went to the Qataris, we were invited, we had dinner with them, it’s extraordinary “.
Regarding the controversies around air conditioning in stadiums or the sale of alcohol prohibited inside and around the temples of football, there too, there is not really much to be exhausted. The air conditioning, which was initially turned on in a somewhat incomprehensible way for the first matches when the outside temperature was ideal (between 23 and 26 degrees), was finally no longer used thereafter. The ban on the sale of alcohol, so dear to football fans, had no impact on the atmosphere in the stadiums, which was there. Some were not even able to assume their boycott to the end, that is to say.
Qatar has restored its image
Something to make the organizers proud. “It’s a huge achievement in all aspects, the behavior of the supporters, the friendly and joyful atmosphere, the fact that we have brought together these supporters from all countries in an Arab country, recalled Gianni Infantino, a few days ago, at a press conference. Even on social networks (more than 113 million posts, 60% more than in 2018), football enthusiasts responded. Visibrain teaches us, for example, that controversies represent only 3% of the messages published on the web.
Qatar has therefore in the end restored its image, very flayed and very degraded before the start of the 22nd edition of the World Cup by various controversies. No major incidents were reported during the competition around the organization. Failing to have been able to shine on the rectangle towards with its national team, which disappointed (elimination from the group stage after 3 defeats), the small emirate can console itself by having clearly succeeded in its bet.
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