How traveling fans gave the 2022 World Cup its soul – DW – 12/17/2022
Staff, 2022-12-17 05:21:13,
The heart of any football World Cup tournament is the gathering of fans from all over the globe, interacting with each other, forming new rivalries, and discovering a country’s culture first-hand. While there was a sense of apathy towards the tournament in Germany and other European nations, fans from Asia, Africa and the Americas told a different story. In Qatar, Brazil, Argentina, and Morocco enjoyed special status among supporters.
Brazil and Argentina find foreign fans
The two South American sides were not only cheered on by their own travelling fans but also enjoyed the backing of large groups of Indians and Pakistanis — some who work in Qatar and others who travelled from the subcontinent to cheer on their adopted teams.
Meanwhile, Morocco at times enjoyed a quasi ‘host country’ status, as fans from many Arab nations rallied behind their stunning underdog run. They packed stadiums with their supporters and after every match Doha’s standing market Souq Waqif was filled with fans of the Atlas Lions, as Egyptian, Qatari, Algerian, Palestinian and Saudi flags were waved alongside the Moroccan banner. Because sterile FIFA fan zones lacked in atmosphere, this became the central hub of fan activity.
Short distances, long walks
The designated party areas were perhaps in part less frequented due to the ridiculous level of traffic diversions and barriers that fans encountered whilst trying to reach them. The Doha Corniche, a 7 kilometer-long waterfront…
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