IMPORTANT POINTS:
- Reduced from 32 teams to two, Argentina and France are fighting for the 2022 World Cup title.
- There were numerous shock results, with the Socceroos, Morocco and Croatia causing excitement at various points.
- From abbreviated interviews to special fan moments, SBS’ Ben Lewis shares his key takeaways from the tournament.
Ultimately, we did not encounter the harshness of the authorities, although our Danish colleagues are known to have done so.
It was clear that the organizers were frustrated with certain issues. In the run-up to the tournament, the working conditions of migrant workers, LGBTIQ+ rights and the possibility for fans to drink alcohol were discussed in detail.
“That’s it, you had your question about alcohol,” he told me.
And then there was Tim Cahill’s departure.
Given his roles, it seemed like a perfectly appropriate question.
How much for a cabin in the desert?
Our accommodation was booked through an agency set up by the Qatar Organizing Committee. It was on the outskirts of town, in a semi-finished apartment complex.
For the first few days, my cameraman and I seemed to be the only guests. Billboards outside the building showed what the area was to look like, but only served to highlight the incompleteness of the works.
It was our first sign that Qatar wasn’t quite as ready to host the world’s greatest sporting event as officials had claimed.
We spoke to countless fans who had paid the maximum amount to stay in trailer homes. Most had air conditioning, but they were sparsely furnished and often in awkward locations.
Many fans save for years to go to the World Cup. It is a special adventure that takes place every four years. And yet they had to pay thousands of dollars for substandard housing.
Dancing with Argentines
Some of our best moments in Qatar were with fans at Souq Waqif, the market in downtown Doha. There were Argentines beating drums, Mexicans singing songs and Tunisians dancing in the streets.
Argentinian fans celebrate World Cup results and express their emotions through song and dance. Source: SBS News / ben lewis
But the souq is not as big as it appears on TV and in the stadiums, the paint has often been applied thinly. Matches involving teams with large expat communities (Morocco, Saudi Arabia, etc.) had an amazing atmosphere.
What I didn’t expect was how many migrant workers from India, Bangladesh and Nepal were big Argentina fans. Around 30,000 supporters of the South American nation had flown to Doha. But there were more local supporters of Lionel Messi.
It turned out there were dozens of Tunisian expats there, joining in chants, banging drums and waving flags before the owner insisted we sit down and have coffee. These are the moments that make a World Cup so special.
Here are some of the 30,000 Tunisian fans who were in Qatar during the World Cup. Source: SBS News / ben lewis
Enough whining, what about the pros?
Australia achieved more than most expected, with teams like Morocco doing even better. There were real shock results. Saudi Arabia vs Argentina. Brazil fails against Croatia. The Moroccans are in Spain, Belgium and Portugal.
The Socceroos defied expectations in their performance at the World Cup, winning back-to-back games for the first time in their World Cup history and qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time since 2006. Source: SBS News
A tournament without alcohol in stadiums worked well. There were next to no problems with crowds and if you wanted a beer after the game there were plenty of places to get one.
The endless empty barricades at shuttle bus stops and venues were a sign that visitor numbers were not living up to government claims.
Qatar spent around AUD 328 billion (US$ 220 billion) on World Cup infrastructure. Source: SBS News
Qatar is estimated to have spent around A$328 billion (US$220 billion) on World Cup infrastructure. The negative press the country has received may indicate the money was not well spent.