What is the most important legacy of Qatar 2022

“I am not here to debate who is the GOAT, COW, ANTELOPE, LEOPARD, or LION. Those silly exercises of banging heads against each other are worthless. I am here to talk about what makes this tournament run so special. I am here to talk about what no media has applauded Qatar for and to thank them for hosting a successful World Cup and using it to promote peace. Qatar, which has no ties with Israel, allowed Israeli fans to enter the games in an unprecedented move. Palestinian flags were visible in Qatar to show solidarity, even though they were not in the World Cup. The peace move shown by Qatar tells us why, in a chaotic world, sport is a unique and vital connective tissue that brings people together both across and within societies.

Soccer fans will remember the just concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as a showcase of the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of the most beautiful game on this planet. On the pitch, Lionel Messi ended his long wait for the World Cup. Beyond that, the tournament had several controversies with international observers criticizing the Gulf state for human rights violations. Some may argue that the World Cup has boosted Qatar’s international reputation. But others allege that it has served as a spotlight on issues that Doha would rather keep hidden from the world’s view. However, from my point of view, there are positive takeaways we can draw from this World Cup. Here are some memorable moments from the Qatar 2022 World Cup that we may have likely overlooked.

First of its kind in the Middle East

A World Cup that opened without a beer ban ended without a champagne toast. A tournament that started with a call for cultural sensitivity ended up celebrating a cultural icon. The first World Cup held in the Middle East and the first played in a majority-Muslim country will someday be remembered for many things. First, Qatar defeated the United States, South Korea, Japan, and Australia to win the bid in 2010. A bid awarded by Sepp Blatter-led FIFA. It is the first World Cup to be played during the winter months. The idea of hosting it during this time was to beat the heat of June and July that Qatar experienced and to avoid the potential health risks of playing in such extreme heat. Even at that, there was still the possibility of heat. Hence, to contain the heat, the stadiums had an air conditioning system, among other unique features. Thirty-two teams competed for the final showdown. This year, how the small country of Qatar managed the FIFA World Cup is unquestionably remarkable and teaches many salient lessons. But what is the size of Qatar compared to past hosts? Qatar is ranked 164th in the area and 148th in the population if compared to the world’s sovereign states. The United States is about 849 times bigger than Qatar. The U. S. state of Connecticut is the closest comparison to the size of Qatar. And even then, Connecticut is 8% larger than the host nation, with a population of 1.1 million. Qatar will be several times or more the size of Nigeria. It has a population of almost three million, many of whom are expatriates. Nigeria is about 80 times bigger than Qatar. Qatar is more or less 11,586 sq km, while Nigeria is about 923,768 sq km, making Nigeria 7,873% larger than Qatar. Many people expressed that Qatar was too small to host 32 other countries, which included players, coaches, administrative staff, medical teams, caretakers, security, and thousands of supporters. Before the tournament, analysts estimated that over one million foreigners would descend on Qatar for this prestigious event. It was a huge undertaking. However, after the World Cup, the planning and execution of the event were superb. In my opinion, it outclasses many traditional hosts in the past.

Alcohol ban

Drinking alcohol in public and getting drunk in public is illegal in Qatar. The G-7 countries and their liberal counterparts thought they could arm-twist the Qatari authorities into condoning drinking alcohol inside the stadium. Qatar put its foot down and stuck to its principle by forbidding alcohol in public places. According to the officials, people and large crowds can still enjoy themselves without alcohol. Many thought this law would go against the local rhetoric that fun cannot be if alcohol is not present. Qatari leaders did not bow to pressure. The Qatari authorities reiterated that you could face a six-month prison sentence or be charged as much as $850 if anyone disobeyed the law. From the beginning of the tournament to the end of it, the authorities did not allow alcohol during matches. However, they set up fan zones around the country where fans could have a drink in designated areas. Before the tournament, Qatari World Cup chief Nasser Al Khater confirmed there were designated areas for drunken fans to get sober. So, we did not see the usual drama with naked or half-naked spectators running onto the field. There were no fights between supporters or people throwing missiles on the field. Also, there were no stampedes among the crowds. Qatar set the example for others to follow in good planning, commitment, discipline, and top-notch execution.

Morocco made history

This World Cup will stay in the collective memory as a tournament of upsets. This year, Morocco ripped up the history books by becoming the first African country to reach the final four of the World Cup – beating European heavyweights Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. Their run – ended with a 2-0 defeat to France – overturned all expectations. Morocco won its first World Cup match since 1998 – its third ever – by securing a sensational 2-0 victory over Belgium, knocking the world’s second-ranked team out of the competition. Things get even better for Morocco: A draw against the 2018 finalists Croatia and another victory against Canada saw the Lions roar to the top of their group. Images of players tossing the coach joyfully into the air in celebration – and the players prostrating on the lawn in prayer became viral, not only to Africans and Arabs from across the globe but to everyone who loves to root for an underdog. Hence, the 2022 FIFA World Cup became the best tournament Africa has ever participated in.

Referee made history

Qatar 2022 made history as the first men’s FIFA World Cup to have female referees in charge of matches. For the first time at the men’s World Cup, FIFA included three women among the 36 referees selected for Qatar 2022. Stephanie Frappart from France, Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan, and Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda have had a good reputation in the previous tournament when they officiated some games. Frappart is arguably the most high-profile of the trio. She took charge of the 2019 Women’s World Cup final before officiating the UEFA Super Cup between Liverpool and Chelsea later that year. In December 2020, Frappart became the first woman to referee in the men’s category of the UEFA Champions League when she oversaw a 3-0 win for Juventus against Dynamo Kyiv. Japanese official Yamashita has also made Champions League history, albeit on a different continent. She was the first female referee to take charge of a match in Asia’s AFC Champions League earlier this year. For Mukansanga, the 2022 World Cup will be her second crucial men’s international tournament in less than 12 months. Mukansanga from Rwanda led an all-female officiating team at the Africa Cup of Nations in January when Zimbabwe met Guinea in the group stage.

A seismic World Cup upset

In perhaps the most unexpected upset of the tournament, Saudi Arabia beat two-time World Cup winner Argentina in a Group C encounter. Led by Lionel Messi and ranked third in the world, many had expected Argentina to sweep aside Saudi Arabia, especially as Argentina was unbeaten for three years and among the favorites to win the tournament before kickoff, while 48 places separated the two teams in the world rankings. But what would a World Cup be without a did that happen moment? As the game progressed, other underdog teams made history. For example, for the first time, teams from all continents advanced to the round of 16. Teams like Australia, Japan, and the Korean Republic reached the knockout stages – a competition record for the Asian confederation, which in previous tournaments only had two, in 2002 and 2010. The outcome of the group stage shows the extent to which more countries have acquired the tools to compete at the highest level. This success is because of better preparation and analysis of the opponents, which is also a reflection of equal access to technology. It is very much in line with the efforts of FIFA to increase the competitiveness of football on a global scale.

A new star reborn

Qatar 2022 produces another new kid on the block. For fans who have not been paying attention for the last three years, Kylian Mbappe proved he is as good as his potential suggested back in 2018. The 23-year-old led France to its second straight appearance in the World Cup Final, scoring several goals. Mbappe was unstoppable at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The eight goals from the games he played put him in a better position to claim the Gold Boot. Despite France missing the likes of Paul Pogba and Karim Benzema, Mbappe did not miss a beat as he gave defenders headaches. The 23-year-old already picked up two Man of the Match awards at the 2022 World Cup and turned more heads with a very subtle act. Throughout the tournament, Mbappe showed he could score with skills and grit when his team needed it most. He became the second man to score a World Cup final hat-trick – winning the Golden Boot in the process – with still plenty of time and energy to play in subsequent world cups before retirement. While he left Qatar without a first-place medal, he gave the world plenty of entertainment on the pitch throughout the month. Watch this kid in the next four years or subsequent World Cups.

Lionel Messi’s last dance

Lionel Messi is widely considered one of the greatest soccer players in the history of soccer. He has the statistics and accolades to back it up. But the global icon left out one essential item on his resume: a World Cup winner. But on Sunday, December 18, the Argentinian forward filled that void in the World Cup final against France. In the 2018 World Cup, the French team knocked out Argentina in the round of 16. The French later went on to win the title. If France won this year, it would have been only the third team, and first since Brazil in 1962, to win back-to-back titles. Messi was in this same position eight years ago, but Argentina fell to Germany in the final. He won the Golden Ball, awarded to the best player of the tournament but was despondent during the post-game trophy presentation, having missed out on the bigger prize. His Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Ball this year after a hat trick in the final gave him eight goals for the tournament. Messi finished second with seven goals but was happy to cede the individual award in exchange for the big prize. The 35-year-old Messi confirmed after their semifinal win that this World Cup would be his last World Cup. He told the media that there are several years until the next one, and he does not think he will be at his best in the next world cup.

The controversies

Sometimes, it feels as if we are living in two parallel worlds. When you listen to western media news about countries, you will notice an inevitable bias that reflects where they are based, who works for them and who their audience is. Just as beauty, the question of balance in media coverage is in the eye of the beholder. What the western media determines to be fair may be seen as deeply unfair by an African viewer. For example, years ago, when an organization invited me to a conference in Egypt, I was going with the mind to see a shattered Egypt with bombs and dead bodies scattered everywhere on the street. On arrival, I asked the taxi driver who came to pick me up at the airport to show me where the chaos was. He told me what I heard in the news only happened in a small fraction of Egypt. According to him, the western media magnified the story as if it was happening in all corners of Egypt. He drove me around Cairo before taking me to the hotel, yet I never saw a single bomb.

Honestly, the report of human beings reporting on the actions of other humans is an effort that can never be balanced (whatever that is) when that news is being read or viewed by other humans who have their own biases. All reports reflect a viewpoint, as do all viewers and readers. Like any other form of media, Western media is subject to prejudices. They can present a distorted or incomplete view of events and issues. Many factors can contribute to media bias, including personal beliefs, experiences of journalists, the editorial policies of news organizations, and the influence of advertisers and other external forces. For example, research has shown that Western media outlets may be more likely to cover conflicts or disasters in certain nations, while others receive less attention. Beyond this, other Western media may be more likely to portray certain minority groups negatively or stereotypically. It is vital for readers to be aware of these biases and to seek out diverse and reliable sources of information when trying to understand the world around them. Reading various sources and seeking out diverse perspectives can help to provide a more balanced view of an issue. Hence, if you follow the media in certain countries, this is the worst World Cup in history. Their analysis drips with Islamophobia and condescension that we have not even heard against the Russians in the killing fields of Ukraine. Yet, if you go past the usual suspects – the same ones who had precious little to say about World Cups or the Olympics held in those bastions of human rights, Russia and China – you see that the story is quite different. You hear about a World Cup done in a unique way, not just a European World Cup in a different location. In the next four years, U. S., Canada, and Mexico will host the next World Cup. We wait to see if the media coverage will be the same or if there will be human rights abuse or nothing at all.

The Qatar World Cup was mired in controversy from the minute it was awarded. Some of the issues are legitimate and required a contextual analysis, such as the treatment of migrant workers. I do not seek to belittle these problems. However, many controversies came out of the superiority complex. Although Qatar did challenge the stereotyping and biased reporting, they let their actions do the loudest talking. They put on a fantastic World Cup that was safe, well-organized, and welcoming to visitors. The rest of the world is seeing reports from those on the ground saying how much they have enjoyed themselves, been blown away by the hospitality, and are appreciative of the facilities made available for them.

In the bid to condemn Qatar, most of the media have not reported the facts that this is the most disability-friendly World Cup in history. The opening ceremony involved a prominent influencer who suffers from a rare genetic condition. Supporters in wheelchairs accompanied the teams before their matches, while unique commentary was made available for blind football fans following the games. They build stadiums with accessible access and facilities and with people of different abilities in mind. Unfortunately, the Muslim world tends to fall behind others in supporting people with disabilities. This World Cup showed that this item was not an issue for Qatar. With a lot of thought and a little effort, we can make societies more accessible to all.

Can you imagine a major world tournament without alcohol? It was unthinkable until a month ago, yet here we are. We have been made to believe this lie that alcohol is a necessity to be able to function on the world stage. Whether it is a business meeting in a firm or a gathering of notables in any field – not having alcohol present was unimaginable. Qatar proved that not only is alcohol avoidable for events to be successful but we could keep away from it and still be successful. We lost count of the times people said there was a family-friendly atmosphere at this World Cup when we compared it to others. Essentially, there were no reports of violence, brawls, or public indecency, which marred every sports tournament, even minor league matches worldwide.

Legacy

What is the most important legacy of this World Cup that Nigeria and other countries could emulate? Maybe our countries could take a page out of the Qatari book. Instead of teaching young people to jump up and wine at everything or mash up the place and cause mayhem, we could organize sporting activities to develop the “grit” that helps them overcome challenges as adults. Hosting sporting events can create new jobs, improve infrastructure, aid local development, and increase visibility for the cities and countries that host them. However, these benefits are not automatic. Recent attention to the activities of the FIFA World Cup has renewed focus on practices surrounding the organization of sporting events. Host governments, sport’s governing bodies, suppliers, and sponsors must ensure they observe human rights and high environmental and social standards throughout the entire life cycle of these events. Some essential concerns include human rights abuses, workplace exploitation, displacement and land issues, and adverse environmental impacts related to venue construction and infrastructure development. Other related issues are the impacts on workers’ rights in the supply chains for merchandise and other goods produced for the event. This idea may be the solution to the violence and indiscipline we are experiencing in our world. Therefore, I am not here to debate who is the GOAT, COW, ANTELOPE, LEOPARD, or LION. Those silly exercises of banging heads against each other are worthless. I am here to talk about what makes this tournament run so special. I am here to talk about what no media has applauded Qatar for and to thank them for hosting a successful World Cup and using it to promote peace. Qatar, which has no ties with Israel, allowed Israeli fans to enter the games in an unprecedented move. Palestinian flags were visible in Qatar to show solidarity, even though they were not in the World Cup. The peace move shown by Qatar tells us why, in a chaotic world, sport is a unique and vital connective tissue that brings people together both across and within societies. Therefore, despite all the controversy surrounding this World Cup, I am here to say to Qatar in Swahili Asanteni wote. Thank you all!

Rev. Ma, S.J, is a Jesuit Catholic priest and doctoral student in public and social policy at St. Louis University in the state of Missouri, USA.