Qatar’s opening World Cup impression slips into disaster on and off the pitch
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar’s opening World Cup impression slips into disaster on and off the pitch

The Independent  

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rising out of the desert and out of nothing, the Al-Bayt Stadium provides such an arresting sight that it made for a symbolic choice to host the opening game of the first World Cup ever staged in the Middle East. open image in gallery Gianni Infantino watched the game alongside assorted dignitaries Infantino’s much-mocked monologue the day before the tournament started showed a sensitivity to some of the criticism. open image in gallery Enner Valencia was made to look like a prime Didier Drogba On a historic occasion, Qatar made the wrong sort of history as the first hosts to lose their opening game.

World Game World Cup Goal Cup Qatar  qatars  world  stadium  qatar  seats  goal  tournament  impression  game  sign  opening  slips  disaster  cup  pitch

History of this topic

The absurd image that sums up Fifa’s ‘tinpot dictatorship’ as Saudi Arabia awarded World Cup
4 weeks ago

The absurd image that sums up Fifa’s ‘tinpot dictatorship’ as Saudi Arabia awarded World Cup

The Independent  

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Fourteen years on, on Thursday 11 December 2024, Fifa’s congress remotely applauded …

FIFA awards 2026 World Cup contract for high-end hospitality to NFL specialist On Location
5 months, 3 weeks ago

FIFA awards 2026 World Cup contract for high-end hospitality to NFL specialist On Location

Associated Press  

GENEVA — FIFA picked hospitality provider On Location to run its high-end billion-dollar program for the 2026 World Cup that will see 104 men’s games in the United States, Canada and Mexico. FIFA’s financial report for 2022 said it earned “$243 million through the sale of hospitality rights” for the World Cup in Qatar, which had just 64 games. Soccer’s …

Lionel Messi and the World Cup have left Qatar with a richer sports legacy
11 months, 1 week ago

Lionel Messi and the World Cup have left Qatar with a richer sports legacy

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The country is currently playing …

A year on from Qatar, this is the real legacy of the 2022 World Cup
1 year, 1 month ago

A year on from Qatar, this is the real legacy of the 2022 World Cup

The Independent  

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Many of the human rights issues documented in the lead-up to the …

Qatar Airways reports $1.2B in profits after ferrying passengers to last year's soccer World Cup
1 year, 6 months ago

Qatar Airways reports $1.2B in profits after ferrying passengers to last year's soccer World Cup

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Qatar Airways on Wednesday reported …

Qatar Investment Authority is buying a stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, AP source says
1 year, 6 months ago

Qatar Investment Authority is buying a stake in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, AP source says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A person with knowledge of …

Sponsorships, power and money- West Asia’s rising influence in global football
1 year, 6 months ago

Sponsorships, power and money- West Asia’s rising influence in global football

The Hindu  

After Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022, his exit from Manchester United looked inevitable. While Saudi is the latest entrant among Arab nations’ investment in global football, the seeds were sown in the previous decade with Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan buying Manchester City in 2008 and Nasser Al-Khelaifi-led Qatar Sports …

Messi, Argentina set to pull a big crowd in Beijing exhibition game against Australia
1 year, 6 months ago

Messi, Argentina set to pull a big crowd in Beijing exhibition game against Australia

The Hindu  

Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina teammates are expected to draw almost 70,000 fans to the Beijing Worker’s Stadium for an exhibition game against Australia. He said that after winning the World Cup, it was his time to go the United States and “live football in another way.” Before then, he’s with the Argentina squad that is scheduled to …

How the 2022 FIFA World Cup has changed Doha’s skyline with a luxe modern hotel and dramatic sword-inspired skyscrapers
1 year, 9 months ago

How the 2022 FIFA World Cup has changed Doha’s skyline with a luxe modern hotel and dramatic sword-inspired skyscrapers

The Hindu  

It is remarkable how quickly Qatar has pivoted to the centre of the global modernist architecture scene over the last 12 years. Readied last November, the twin Katara Towers in Doha’s sparkling new Lusail City neighbourhood serve as the architectural translation of Qatar’s national seal of the scimitar swords. Attractions for tourists and residents The iconic Al-Janoub Stadium, designed by …

How the World Cup in Qatar refined sportswashing into a fine art
2 years ago

How the World Cup in Qatar refined sportswashing into a fine art

Live Mint  

Since it was declared the host in 2010, Qatar has spent $220 billion to stage the Fifa World Cup. In 2012, it bought the French club Paris Saint-Germain for Euro 100 million through Qatari sports Investment, a closed shareholding organization which is a subsidiary of the Qatari Investment Authority, the country’s sovereign wealth fund. When Messi was draped with the …

Diplomatic victory for Qatar after FIFA World Cup 2022 success
2 years ago

Diplomatic victory for Qatar after FIFA World Cup 2022 success

The Hindu  

Qatar fought a “culture war”, corruption claims and accusations over rights abuses in hosting the FIFA World Cup but experts say the Gulf state has reinforced its image everywhere except parts of Europe. “Qatar has been able to use the World Cup effectively to establish its brand, especially in the Global South,” said Krieg. The World Cup “gave Qatar a …

FIFA at the Qatar World Cup: Lost trust mars most big gains
2 years ago

FIFA at the Qatar World Cup: Lost trust mars most big gains

The Hindu  

Published : Dec 20, 2022 16:19 IST Even before an epic final won by Lionel Messi and Argentina, FIFA president Gianni Infantino was calling it “the best World Cup ever” in Qatar. FIFA’s fundamental role is to oversee global football’s rules and make sure World Cups happen on schedule: Goal achieved, billions of dollars duly earned. FIFA gave assurances in …

Rise of emerging economies trend of the times
2 years ago

Rise of emerging economies trend of the times

China Daily  

The success of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which concluded on Sunday, is beyond doubt, despite the great lengths some Western countries went to in their attempts to smear the tournament with lies and unfounded charges on so-called human rights issues. How the Qatar World Cup has unfolded over the past few weeks demonstrates how the most popular sport on …

Qatar’s billions get the picture they paid for
2 years ago

Qatar’s billions get the picture they paid for

The Independent  

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As the Argentina captain at last went to lift the World Cup …

The morning after: Qatar wakes up to post World Cup life
2 years ago

The morning after: Qatar wakes up to post World Cup life

Al Jazeera  

People express sadness over the World Cup ending but say they feel privileged to have been a part of it. We had almost no time to sit or take a break … but the atmosphere was incredible.” Salam, who is from India, said he wished a major tournament like the FIFA World Cup would take place “every year” in the …

Analysis: Six key takeaways from the Qatar World Cup
2 years ago

Analysis: Six key takeaways from the Qatar World Cup

Al Jazeera  

From the end of the Messi saga to the first Arab tournament, and the mixing of politics and sports – here’s what FIFA, and the rest of us, will have to think about. Having the World Cup in the Middle East allowed people from the region to have a tournament which they could attend and not feel foreign. It allowed …

FIFA World Cup: David Beckham says it has been a privilege to see the level of football in Qatar WC 2022
2 years ago

FIFA World Cup: David Beckham says it has been a privilege to see the level of football in Qatar WC 2022

The Hindu  

David Beckham exudes a cool, James Bond-like vibe in his designer jacket worn over a white tee that hugs his toned torso. The team played with passion, with excitement, and people turned around to me and asked, “Are you shocked about the Morocco team going so far.” And at the start of the tournament, if you had said to me, …

EXPLAINED | How Qatar turns its cash into foreign policy power
2 years ago

EXPLAINED | How Qatar turns its cash into foreign policy power

The Hindu  

Published : Dec 17, 2022 16:19 IST The glamorous event was covered in all the best magazines. It’s not illegal to network Unlike recent allegations around bribes paid to European parliamentarians, connections like this, between Qatar and celebrities like Campbell, are clearly lawful. The Corruption Risk Forecast, a system developed by several academic organizations including the European Research Center for …

Special report: Qatar, the World Cup and the war on truth
2 years ago

Special report: Qatar, the World Cup and the war on truth

New York Times  

For a brief few moments it looked like the World Cup was being rigged in real time, amplifying an explosive conspiracy theory seen by millions around the world. We will outline: The London “research centre” which doesn’t exist How ‘Qatar’s rivals’ allegedly pushed to switch this World Cup to the UK The mysterious case of ‘Denmark Uncensored’ Curious conferences, fake …

Fans wrestle with a (largely) beer-free World Cup in Qatar
2 years ago

Fans wrestle with a (largely) beer-free World Cup in Qatar

Associated Press  

DOHA, Qatar — Let’s be clear: They definitely wanted beer. So a group of guys from Nottinghamshire, England – veterans of boozy soccer matches back home — fumed when they discovered no beer would be sold until halftime of the Brazil-Croatia game at the main Doha fan zone, one of the few places where World Cup fans can have alcohol. …

This is the side of the World Cup that Qatar would prefer you ignore
2 years ago

This is the side of the World Cup that Qatar would prefer you ignore

The Independent  

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It would tally with an accusation from Michael Posner, former US assistant …

Football stadiums in Qatar will ‘disappear’ after world cup
2 years, 1 month ago

Football stadiums in Qatar will ‘disappear’ after world cup

Live Mint  

Seven FIFA World Cup 2022 games were held at Stadium 974, with Brazil defeating South Korea 4-1 on December 5 in the round of 16 being the final game of those. The stadium will disappear after this, according to Qatar which will soon host the Asian Games, the Asian Cup, and possibly even the Olympics. As per FIFA's guidelines for …

Explained: What will happen to Qatar's new stadiums after the World Cup?
2 years, 1 month ago

Explained: What will happen to Qatar's new stadiums after the World Cup?

Firstpost  

The Qataris say the stadium will disappear, but it isn’t clear when that will happen. The Gulf country will soon stage an Asian Cup, the multi-sport Asian Games and maybe even an Olympics Doha: The World Cup stadium was designed to leave a minimal footprint in the Qatari sand. A look at FIFA requirements for World Cup stadiums and what …

‘Hats off to Qatar’: Rishi Sunak criticised after praising World Cup hosts
2 years, 1 month ago

‘Hats off to Qatar’: Rishi Sunak criticised after praising World Cup hosts

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rishi Sunak was criticised after praising World Cup hosts Qatar …

Built to disappear: World Cup stadium 974
2 years, 1 month ago

Built to disappear: World Cup stadium 974

Associated Press  

DOHA, Qatar — Of the seven stadiums Qatar built for the World Cup, one will disappear after the tournament. That’s what the games’ organizers have said about Stadium 974 in Doha — a port-side structure with more than 40,000 seats partially built from recycled shipping containers and steel. Stadium 974, named after Qatar’s international dialing code and the number of …

Built to disappear: World Cup stadium 974
2 years, 1 month ago

Built to disappear: World Cup stadium 974

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. That’s what the games’ organizers have said about Stadium …

FIFA World Cup Doha stadium 974 in Qatar built to disappear
2 years, 1 month ago

FIFA World Cup Doha stadium 974 in Qatar built to disappear

New Indian Express  

DOHA: Of the seven stadiums Qatar built for the World Cup, one will disappear after the tournament. “Designing for disassembly is one of the main principles of sustainable building,” said Karim Elgendy, an associate fellow at the London-based Chatham House think tank who previously worked as a climate consultant for the World Cup. Qatar has faced international criticism for its …

Arabs unite in celebration as Morocco advances in World Cup
2 years, 1 month ago

Arabs unite in celebration as Morocco advances in World Cup

Associated Press  

DOHA, Qatar — First Qatar was out, exiting the World Cup with the worst record of a host country. Now, at the first World Cup ever to be held in the Middle East, Morocco is the Arab world’s last hope. Morocco’s success sparked angry street riots in Belgium after a match earlier this week, but on Thursday triggered an outpouring …

Qatar says farewell to World Cup in 2-0 loss to Netherlands
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar says farewell to World Cup in 2-0 loss to Netherlands

Associated Press  

AL KHOR, Qatar — Ibrahim Al-Ghanim, a former Qatar national soccer team defender, was dressed like thousands of other local men as he rushed to his seat through a main foyer at Al Bayt Stadium. He wore the traditional thobe — the long-sleeve, floor-length white robe — and came to celebrate Qatar’s national team on Tuesday in its final match …

US columnist: Qatar World Cup highlights Western double standards
2 years, 1 month ago

US columnist: Qatar World Cup highlights Western double standards

China Daily  

People stand in a square ahead of the FIFA 2022 World cup soccer tournament at Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Qatar November 15, 2022. Criticisms surrounding Qatar's capacity and worthiness to hold the FIFA World Cup since the tiny Persian Gulf country won the bid has revealed the depths of Western prejudice, performative moral outrage and, perhaps most significantly, gross …

No wins, few fans… Qatar prove it’s time for every side to earn World Cup place
2 years, 1 month ago

No wins, few fans… Qatar prove it’s time for every side to earn World Cup place

New York Times  

Yesterday marked the midway point of the Qatar World Cup — 32 matches played, 32 remaining. With 10 minutes remaining of Qatar’s World Cup dream today, the stands were around 30 per cent full. Today’s empty seats came on a day when Hassan Al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy of this World Cup, announced that …

Qatar hotel prices and air fares tumble once World Cup fans start to leave
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar hotel prices and air fares tumble once World Cup fans start to leave

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But from Tuesday onwards, the results of the final matches of the group stage will see beaten teams – and …

In pictures: Qatar’s migrant workers enjoy FIFA World Cup on the cheap
2 years, 1 month ago

In pictures: Qatar’s migrant workers enjoy FIFA World Cup on the cheap

The Hindu  

Shafeeq Saqafi paid $3 for the Argentina shirt he proudly wore when he sat with 15,000 other migrant workers in a hidden corner of Doha to watch Lionel Messi’s side salvage their World Cup. Saqafi and his friends bristle at European media suggestions that they are “fake fans” but readily acknowledge that they buy counterfeit team shirts for $3 or …

Qatar\'s migrant workers enjoy World Cup on the cheap
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar\'s migrant workers enjoy World Cup on the cheap

Deccan Chronicle  

DOHA: Shafeeq Saqafi paid three dollars for the Argentina shirt he proudly wore when sat with 15,000 other migrant workers in a hidden corner of Doha to watch Lionel Messi's side salvage their World Cup. Messi's goal in the 2-0 win over Mexico brought the biggest crowd seen at the Asian Town stadium to their feet and Saqafi beat his …

Watching the World Cup with Qatar’s migrant workers and hearing about their lives
2 years, 1 month ago

Watching the World Cup with Qatar’s migrant workers and hearing about their lives

New York Times  

Inside a cricket stadium on the outskirts of Doha, hundreds of men gather together. Asian Town is a shopping and entertainment complex close to “Labour City”, which opened in 2015 and accommodates close to 70,000 migrant workers who assisted the construction projects that were critical to the state’s World Cup. Migrant workers have helped build Qatar's World Cup from scratch …

Arab teams turn Qatar World Cup into a ‘home’ tournament
2 years, 1 month ago

Arab teams turn Qatar World Cup into a ‘home’ tournament

Al Jazeera  

With their unexpectedly good results and shared excitement, Arab fans unite to celebrate their teams’ heroics on the pitch. Doha, Qatar – Like thousands of other Saudi fans, Muhammad al-Dabbagh travelled by car last week to Qatar to watch live the first-ever World Cup to be held in the Middle East. “Had it not been in Qatar,” he said, “it …

Show’s over already for host Qatar’s World Cup team
2 years, 1 month ago

Show’s over already for host Qatar’s World Cup team

Associated Press  

DOHA, Qatar — The show is over already for the Qatar team, which was eliminated Friday from the World Cup less than a week after it opened the tournament and launched the first version of soccer’s biggest event in the Middle East. Qatar lost 3-1 to Senegal for its second straight defeat at the World Cup and its exit was …

Second successive loss puts hosts Qatar out of World Cup
2 years, 1 month ago

Second successive loss puts hosts Qatar out of World Cup

Hindustan Times  

After successive defeats, Qatar’s World Cup campaign ended earlier than what the hosts would have wanted after Netherlands-Ecuador ended 1-1 taking both to four points. Senegal players celebrate after scoring a goal against Qatar at the FIFA World Cup 2022 Not since South Africa has the home country’s team taken the fastest way to exiting a competition that took years …

What on earth is Morgan Freeman doing in Qatar?
2 years, 1 month ago

What on earth is Morgan Freeman doing in Qatar?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Perhaps he’s looking for some “redemption” …

Qatar pulls off miracle to leave gleaming legacy
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar pulls off miracle to leave gleaming legacy

China Daily  

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Doha, Qatar - November 23, 2022 General view of Mexico fans looking over Doha skyline, Qatar, November 23, 2022 I'll admit, it's quite surreal watching the World Cup unfold in the small Gulf emirate of Qatar. While these were the arenas which hosted the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in the January …

Travelling with Saudi fans: 100 buses, sympathy for Messi and a World Cup shock for the ages
2 years, 1 month ago

Travelling with Saudi fans: 100 buses, sympathy for Messi and a World Cup shock for the ages

New York Times  

Omar is a 20-year-old engineering student from Dammam, a Saudi Arabian city about 200 miles north of the border with Qatar. The problem, if there is one, is it is now nearly 11am, Saudi Arabia’s World Cup opener against Argentina kicks off in two hours, six other buses have overtaken us on the four-lane highway from the Abu Samra border …

Hundreds of fans report World Cup ticket woes for 2nd day
2 years, 1 month ago

Hundreds of fans report World Cup ticket woes for 2nd day

Associated Press  

DOHA, Qatar — Handwritten paper tickets were given to some fans to enter a World Cup game on Tuesday as hundreds more in Qatar struggled to retrieve their digital passes amid problems with FIFA’s mobile application for a second day. In front of a sign marked “Ticket Resolution Point” at a convention center in central Doha, fans swapped stories of …

World Cup: Reporter Grant Wahl refused entry to stadium in Qatar over rainbow t-shirt
2 years, 1 month ago

World Cup: Reporter Grant Wahl refused entry to stadium in Qatar over rainbow t-shirt

Daily Mail  

FIFA said players could face being booked and even banned for wearing it It came after some captains reversed the decision to wear OneLove armband In Qatar it is illegal to be gay and the conservative host nation has faced criticism American soccer reporter Grant Wahl claimed he was refused entry to a World Cup stadium in Qatar for wearing …

In a stadium of their own, migrant workers say their sweat made World Cup happen
2 years, 1 month ago

In a stadium of their own, migrant workers say their sweat made World Cup happen

The Hindu  

Published : Nov 21, 2022 16:09 IST Taking selfies from the stands and sitting on the grassy pitch, thousands of migrant workers gathered in a Doha stadium to watch the opening match of the first World Cup in West Asia. Rights groups have accused authorities of failing to protect lower-income workers - including those who built the stadiums and hotels …

World Cup 2022: Football begins in Qatar
2 years, 1 month ago

World Cup 2022: Football begins in Qatar

The Hindu  

Published : Nov 21, 2022 15:32 IST It is happening, then—the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is under way. Indeed, the opening game brought together a select band of VVIPs : Infantino, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The integration of different nations’ chants into one melody and the return of …

The US guide to World Cup 2022 in Qatar
2 years, 1 month ago

The US guide to World Cup 2022 in Qatar

Al Jazeera  

Al Jazeera answers some key questions as the US men’s team makes its first World Cup appearance since 2014. Washington, DC – The world’s top football event has officially kicked off and World Cup fever is spreading across the globe, including in the United States, whose men’s national team is participating in the tournament for the first time since 2014. …

Qatar World Cup begins amid fan criticism as FIFA boss intervenes
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar World Cup begins amid fan criticism as FIFA boss intervenes

China Daily  

A FIFA World Cup trophy replica is pictured on the pitch as fireworks go off ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group A soccer match between Qatar and Ecuador at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha on Sunday. ODD ANDERSEN/AFP Global soccer's biggest event, the FIFA World Cup, began in Qatar on Sunday, but many fans …

Industrial Area Fan Zone rocking with fan fervour, music and food
2 years, 1 month ago

Industrial Area Fan Zone rocking with fan fervour, music and food

Al Jazeera  

Migrant labourers say a ticket quota would have been a welcome gesture towards those who played important role in World Cup preparations. Doha, Qatar – Excitement filled the air in the Industrial Area Fan Zone as thousands of migrant labourers came to watch the historic first game of the FIFA World Cup 2022 featuring Qatar and Ecuador in Qatar’s capital …

Qatar opens World Cup with lavish half-hour ceremony
2 years, 1 month ago

Qatar opens World Cup with lavish half-hour ceremony

Associated Press  

AL KHOR, Qatar — Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman extended one yellow-gloved hand to a FIFA World Cup ambassador suffering from a rare spinal disorder in an image meant to represent inclusion in a country facing international criticism over its human rights record. “We have exerted all efforts and invested for the good of all humanity.” He was seated between FIFA …

Discover Related