FIFALAND: Qatar World Cup has changed world football
Finally, Lionel Messi accomplished the feat he had been chasing — FIFA World Cup success. Football isn't scripted, and that is its glory like old sports
The FIFALANDIn one of the sport's most thrilling games, Argentina defeated France on penalties to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Argentina prevailed 4-2 on penalties following a 3-3 deadlock after extra time.
Messi scored twice during the game, with the 108th-minute goal appearing to give Argentina the victory. As he has stated that this will probably be his final World Cup, Messi will likely retire as a champion after winning his first World Cup.
What will the world remember about this World Cup? Is it the migrants who died to build the infrastructure? Perhaps the wind in the sails of Argentina's World Cup campaign, Messi's brilliance.
At the beginning of the tournament, however, it seemed unlikely that the world would remember this World Cup for the game because the host country had to deal with many controversies.
Questions like whether beer could be sold in the stadium. The LGBTQ+ issue, where fans were expelled from the pitch for wearing a rainbow-coloured hat, shirt or garment that identified them as supporting the rights of the community.
FIFA was determined to make the tournament what Qatar wanted it to be. In doing so, the vexing issues of human rights, equality, etc., were avoided. Nevertheless, it was through these issues that Qatar attracted the world's attention.
Game of the Underdogs
The focus shifted from these issues raised by or about Qatar to sports — at least among the football community — because of a very unexpected turn of events when the underdogs like Saudi Arabia beat Argentina, which had been a point of discussion for a long time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">World Cup Underdogs: Morocco Defeats Portugal, Becomes First African Or Arab Country To Advance To Semifinals <a href="https://t.co/nOm6vrpK1O">https://t.co/nOm6vrpK1O</a> <a href="https://t.co/8Fz8BpWEIx">pic.twitter.com/8Fz8BpWEIx</a></p>— Forbes (@Forbes) <a href="https://twitter.com/Forbes/status/1601626691360608256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In equally incredible upsets, Japan beat Germany and Spain. Then came Morocco — the North African team identified mainly as Arab, whose performance was truly remarkable.
A team never considered a contender for the title made a breakthrough when they beat Belgium and Canada and drew to Croatia en route to the knockout rounds, where they subsequently stunned Spain and Portugal.
How did Qatar benefit from FIFA?
Cities like Doha and Liza have been given a new lease on life. Liza was a city that did not even exist ten years ago, but today there are watchtowers, banks, apartment buildings, restaurants, etc.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Qatar has spent around $220 billion on hosting FIFA World Cup. <br><br>This amount is even higher than the total value of goods and services produced by the country in an entire year!<br><br>If hosting involves such huge financial commitments, why do countries host such events? A thread 🧵 <a href="https://t.co/8F59r276Bo">pic.twitter.com/8F59r276Bo</a></p>— Groww (@_groww) <a href="https://twitter.com/_groww/status/1595048050514616326?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
For Qatar, this has made significant changes, from infrastructure to Qatar as a society. There was never much to do in Doha, but now, in Masirah, the city centre, there has been a lot of renovation and remodelling because of the World Cup; there are café bars, trendy hairdressers, etc., all the first-class things you would find in the West. The FIFA World Cup has improved Qatar overall. The country had to become known worldwide. World leaders now come to Qatar to be seen, show power, and share a passion with other influential people.
But the world governing body of the sport, FIFA, has also had a great time. It has taken in about $7.5 billion in this four-year cycle, $1 billion of which was recorded as profit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FIFA earns record revenues of $7.5 billion in the four years of commercial deals tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar <a href="https://t.co/q1YUMu26X1">https://t.co/q1YUMu26X1</a></p>— TRT World (@trtworld) <a href="https://twitter.com/trtworld/status/1594291975091621890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Fifaland
What is a final? Well, it's like Disneyland, but with the FIFA theme, whereby FIFA comes into the country, claims the territory for itself, sets its own rules, and paints the government in FIFA.
In a sense, everything is FIFA. Turn that place into Fifaland and. It's like a theme park where everything is plastered in FIFA one knows where they are just by looking over.
In Doha, most offices, schools, etc., were shut for six weeks, serving FIFA a blank canvas they could paint in their colours. There is music everywhere you go, lighting, and FIFA vision in every nook and corner.
The 2030 competition could see its future in Saudi Arabia, with KSA investing heavily in sports and Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz attending the World Cup regularly.
Saudi Arabia needs more than adequate monetary resources for this huge event. However, like Qatar, it could serve as a blank canvas that FIFA can paint in their colours and build yet another, Fifaland.
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