World Cup 2022: Qatar has little enthusiasm for its own domestic leagues

Best of luck to anyone among Qatar's 2.8million population seeking to avoid the World Cup being held in their country this month. Enormous banners featuring stars such as Brazil's Neymar adorn skyscrapers in Doha as Qatar prepares to host the World Cup later on this month England's Harry Kane and Holland's Virgil van Dijk look out from towers in downtown Doha The final countdown is now underway as Qatar prepares to welcome the football world But the enthusiasm that will be on display from visiting fans of the 32 nations competing in the World Cup shouldn't be confused with local passion for the game. When Sportsmail's Ian Herbert attended a top match in the Stars League between Al Sadd and Al-Duhail last year there were just 3,000 spectators rattling around in a stadium that could hold far more. A sparsely-populated stadium watches the match between Al Sadd and Al-Duhail last year A very sparse crowd attends a Stars League match between Al Wakrah and Al Sadd in January Some attempt to generate an atmosphere at matches, such as these supporters of Qatar SC A Stars League match at the Al Thumama Stadium is played out before a very sparse crowd This bunch created all the colour and atmosphere while robed Qataris, mostly male, sat alongside in silence taking in the action. In 2009, just before Qatar was surprisingly voted 2022 World Cup hosts, the top-flight became the Stars League amid a concerted effort to attract famous names in the twilight of their careers to play there.