While apotheosis has yet to come, in many parts of Qatar the World Cup seems like a long time ago. The most controversial football tournament of all time is about to end, and you can tell.
Two gray socks on a hanger cap in the wind. In the so-called supporter village south of Doha, you won’t see any more signs of life from the fans.
It has never been so busy on the site of 6,000 container homes designed to house football fans at a relatively affordable price. However, the fact that the loud air conditioner now makes the most atmospheric sound says a lot.
Of course not too crazy. Only four of the 32 countries competing for the World Cup held in Qatar are still in the tournament. Doha is brimming with Argentine and Moroccan fans, who have by far the largest legion.
But fans from these countries will apparently stay elsewhere, as no one other than a few (soccer) workers can be found in the fan village on Friday. According to the organization, there would still be four hundred fans. Looks like they’ve all just gone.
A surreal image. Hundreds of empty seats in front of a big screen, empty pear seats, unmanned sports equipment, a lost basketball on an empty court. In short: a ghost town.
The woman (not entirely wrong) who rents out the padel courts across the large estate will be watching Netflix on her cell phone. In addition, many food and beverage stands are shuttered. He waits for the squad until the World Cup is over. Then the village will quickly disappear.
There is a lot of noise at Stadium 974, about 10 kilometers away. It is better known as Container Stadium. In the last days (Brazil-South Korea round of 16), there was talk that the stadium would be evacuated right after the match to be played. But that’s not true, it’s still there.
fashion show
There seems to be another big event at the stadium on Friday night: a fashion show. The green grass is covered with a red carpet. Up to 150 designers showcase their creations on the podium in front of 25,000 visitors, who also put on a performance by Post Malone.
On the university campus in the north of the city, the last traces of the Dutch national team have now been erased. For three weeks, Orange had set up his base camp here, bordered by Spain and Argentina.
At roundabout six of the massive site, there is little to say that Louis van Gaal has prepared his men for five World Cup matches here. Orange ‘Welcome to Netherlands’ sign in trash, entrance tent gone, door closed and lights out.
Two more matches and then the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will come to an end.
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
