The first World Cup people watched and still remember was the 2010 edition in South Africa. A few months before it started, the atmosphere was palpable. Moreover, some of the songs at that time were so resounding. Of course, the song Waka Waka sung by Shakira will always be remembered. Or the song Wavin Flag sung by K’naan.
The local television that holds the broadcasting rights continues to fill the audience with the song Waka Waka. So the atmosphere is very strong and of course I can’t wait to watch.
In addition, other things to look forward to are the launching of the national team squad and the jersey to be worn. These are some of the things that make the South African World Cup atmosphere so special. Likewise with the 2014 edition of the Brazil World Cup. The Brazil World Cup is no less atmospheric, especially in a country that has a strong football culture.
At that time, the World Cup matches coincided with the meal. The most memorable moment of course when Brazil was massacred by Germany with a landslide score of 7-1. Another moment to remember is of course Robin van Versie’s goal against Spain which was phenomenal.
However, the atmosphere for the Qatar World Cup was lacking. Even though it will last for a few more weeks, the Qatar World Cup hype is less lively than previous editions. In its official Instagram account, FIFA released the opening of the Qatar World Cup. There is something unique about the opening, in my opinion, the aroma of the fasting month is very strong.
Likewise with the Qatar World Cup song entitled Hayya. Even though it has been released, maybe few people know the song for this World Cup. Of course there are several reasons why the atmosphere of this World Cup is lacking.
In fact, every World Cup is held in the summer. However, for this edition, the Qatar World Cup is held in winter. This is to avoid the hot weather in Qatar there. The temperature in Qatar in summer can reach 40 degrees Celsius. To get around the temperature, usually in every stadium air conditioning is installed so that the average temperature becomes 21 degrees Celsius.
That’s why the World Cup this time was held in November where Qatar has entered winter. The impact is that the competition in Europe is still running. If the previous edition of the World Cup was held at the end of the competition, now the competition in a number of countries is still running. For example, for the group stages of the Champions League and Europa League which finished this week.
Likewise, several European leagues will have a week off before the World Cup is held. Even this week there are several exciting matches in the English league such as Chelsea vs Arsenal and Tottenham vs Liverpool which will be held on November 6, 2022.
Of course, in the middle of the European competition, the atmosphere of the Qatar World Cup is very lacking. If the competition had stopped in the past, then the most awaited is the World Cup. However, currently a number of top European leagues are still running and of course the enthusiasm for this World Cup is lacking. Maybe even the prestige of the Qatar World Cup is still inferior to the Champions League or other European leagues.
Even though Qatar became the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup. However, the election of Qatar as the host in 2010 was indeed full of controversy from the start. Qatar was able to get rid of the three main competitors in the World Cup host market, namely the United States, South Korea and Japan. The election was called thick with bribes that dragged FIFA officials.
Former AFC President, Mohammed bin Hamman, has been accused of supporting bribery. The allegation is getting stronger, especially since Hamman is a citizen of Qatar. Hamman is alleged to have used $5 million to bribe FIFA officials into choosing Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup.
This bribery scandal dragged UEFA officials Michel Platini. Platini is said to have received bribes from Hamman and the two had met months before the election. Platini was one of the people who chose Qatar as the host. Of course, the latest is Qatar is said to expel foreign workers ahead of the World Cup later. As many as 1,200 foreign workers in Doha had to be evicted from the mess that would later accommodate the football fans.
Worse yet, the officers there only gave the workers about 2 hours to leave the mess. As a result, most of them sleep on the sidewalk or abandoned on the street. But this was immediately denied by local officials. The event was in no way related to the World Cup. This was done for the long-term recovery plan for Doha.
The allegation of the mess that will be used as an accommodation for football fans was also denied. Even so, in practice the construction of Qatar’s World Cup infrastructure claimed 6,500 lives. Of course the second reason is still a hot discussion and will be a separate story. However, for me the interest in this World Cup is not as strong as the previous editions.
This is natural because European competition is still ongoing. Plus, from a geographical point of view, Qatar is not a country with a strong football culture.
ASL
