"Historical" World Cup opens! Fans around the world are looking to Qatar

【Global Times Comprehensive Report】"The world's eyes turn to Qatar" - on the evening of the 20th Beijing time, the 2022 Qatar World Cup officially kicked off. Accompanied by stage performances that show the fusion of tradition and modernity, the opening ceremony repeatedly issued calls for "tolerance and respect" and "solidarity". At 0:00 Beijing time on the 21st, the opening match between the host Qatar and Ecuador was held in the anticipation of fans around the world. As of December 18, 32 teams will bring 64 exciting matches. The first to be hosted by an Arab country and the first to be played in a northern hemisphere winter, the Qatar World Cup has been called a "historic moment": the New York Times described it as marking the Gulf region's foray into international sports; In the eyes of Qatari officials, hosting the World Cup is "an opportunity to break stereotypes about our region." However, in the face of Qatar, which wants to show an open image, some Western media and social groups want to pose as "moral teachers" and hype the so-called "human rights controversy" topic. At a press conference on the 19th, FIFA President Gianni Infantino bluntly criticized such practices for hypocrisy and double standards.

Doha "dressed up"

"The moment that Qatar has been waiting for since 2010 has finally arrived, and the entire Gulf region is excited about it." Qatar's Al Jazeera said on the 20th that the preparations for the World Cup that lasted for 12 years have changed the country, from the newly built subway tracks, airports, and new buildings in the capital Doha, this international sports event has profoundly affected the lives of locals.

German TV 19 described how Doha, the capital of Qatar, is "dressed up": people can see huge banners printed with football stars from all over the world, flags of various colors and colorful lights on the exterior walls of houses. On the waterfront and in the fan zone, people in all costumes are frolicking.

"Now, the World Cup logo can be seen everywhere in Qatar and football elements can be seen everywhere." Gao Xitong, a Qatar Airways staff member who has lived and worked in Doha for 10 years, told the Global Times that as a "bystander", she can truly feel the sincerity and pride of Qataris for hosting the World Cup, and the expectations of local fans for Qatari teams are also "beyond imagination". Gao Xitong said that almost all of his friends bought tickets for the World Cup.

"The fiery atmosphere of the World Cup ignited a month ago." Chen Junheng, a businessman who has been operating supermarket logistics trade in Qatar for nearly 15 years, told the Global Times reporter on the 20th that in the past two days, after six or seven o'clock in the evening, several roads leading to the main stadium are basically "difficult to walk", and all fans are holding celebration and cheering activities.

The New York Times described on the 19th that in Doha, "the whole city is holding its breath, looking forward to the success of the World Cup." For a country of fewer than 3 million people, hosting the nearly month-long event means 12 years of preparation and a peak in spending of more than $200 billion. More than 1 million travelers are expected to visit Qatar in the coming weeks.

The opening ceremony of the World Cup, which began at about 10:40 p.m. Beijing time on the 20th, lasted about 30 minutes. The appearance of this World Cup mascot La'eeb and the singing of the official song "Dreamers" triggered cheers from the audience. According to the Associated Press, Marco Balich, creative director of the opening and closing ceremonies, recently disclosed that this will be an "Olympic-style" opening ceremony. Live footage shows Qatar's Emir Tamim saying in his speech that Qatar is doing its best to host this sporting event, which will be about a broad exchange of humanity and civilization. The Associated Press said the opening ceremony of the World Cup and even the entire event will be an "audition" for Qatar's desire to host the Summer Olympics, which Doha has repeatedly expressed interest in bidding.

Reuters said on the 20th that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the opening ceremony of the World Cup. Their presence is seen as a demonstration of the unity of the countries of the Middle East. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar on the grounds of "supporting terrorism and interfering in internal affairs". Last year, the regional dispute ended.

The Washington Post said on the 20th that with the start of the World Cup, Qatar will receive audiences from its neighboring countries. Arian, a history professor at Georgetown University Qatar, said the influx of fans from Tunisia, Iran, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and other countries would add a "unique flavor" to the game: if all goes well, it is the latest example of Qatar's mediation role in the region. According to foreign media reports, the leaders attending the opening ceremony also included United Nations Secretary-General Guterres, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Algerian President Teben and others.

Qatar controversy, FIFA president criticizes Western "double standard"

Today, Doha positions itself as a firm and open player in regional and international affairs, mediating between conflict countries and diversifying investments globally to enhance the Qatari brand. At a time when energy security is at a crossroads, it is the world's leading producer of oil and gas.

But in the words of some Western media, hosting the World Cup is both a showcase of Qatar's influence and a "high-risk test" because "its preparations for the tournament have been overshadowed by a series of controversies." CNN said Qatar has been criticized for issues involving foreign workers' rights, women's rights, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ groups. The Washington Post said hosting the World Cup brings a degree of scrutiny to the country and "threatens" its global image that it has crafted over the years through creative diplomacy, humanitarian work and business efforts.

"It's extremely unfair." On the eve of the opening of the World Cup, that is, on the 19th local time, FIFA President Gianni Giannino criticized the hypocrisy and double standards of the West at the Doha press conference on the so-called "human rights controversy" in Qatar. According to the European edition of the US "Political News Network", in an hour-long speech, the Italian-Swiss said that for what Europeans have done around the world for the past 3,000 years, "we should apologize for the next 3,000 years and then start teaching moral lessons to others" and that "this one-sided moral preaching is hypocritical." Infantino referred to his experience of being discriminated against in Europe as a child, describing himself as the son of migrant labourers whose parents "worked very, very hard, not in Qatar, but in Switzerland" under difficult conditions. CNN quoted Infantino as saying that Qatar has made progress on a range of matters, but that "reform and change take time, and it took us European countries hundreds of years" and that "the only way to achieve results is to participate... Not yelling."

"Sport should not be politicized." French President Emmanuel Macron answered questions about Qatar's human rights record last Thursday during the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.

Chinese Ambassador to Qatar Zhou Jian said in an interview with the media a few days ago that China gives firm political support to Qatar to host the World Cup, "some current political forces out of ideological prejudice, under the banner of human rights to engage in political manipulation, advocating so-called diplomatic boycotts", China firmly opposes the politicization of human rights issues, politicization of sports, and opposes double standards.

"A truly historic moment"

The New York Times commented that for the Gulf countries, the significance of sports is not just to improve the international image. Over the past 10 years, Qatar and its resource-rich neighbors have invested heavily in international sports to diversify its economy, promote tourism, advance foreign policy, and enhance its global influence.

"Such a large-scale event has attracted attention from all over the world, promoted the development of infrastructure and raised the image of the countries concerned on the international stage." The Russian newspaper Herald quoted Alexei Sorokin, former chairman of the organizing committee of the "Russia-2018" World Cup, as saying that at the preparatory stage, the whole world is paying attention to the efforts, successes and shortcomings of the host country. For host countries, this is often an opportunity and an incentive. The report described the World Cup as an opportunity to "demonstrate to the international community the importance of countries in global processes": to demonstrate the social and investment environment, as well as the openness of interaction with the outside world.

Jordan's "Charter" article believes that Qatar's hosting of the World Cup will expand the activity of Arab countries in the world diplomatic and political arena and the radius of influence of activities, help unite the hearts of Arab countries, boost national spirit and self-confidence, and promote communication and exchanges between countries.

Mexico's "Financier" newspaper said that the Qatar World Cup is undoubtedly a platform to show the effectiveness of football diplomacy as a meeting point and coexistence of different cultures. "A truly historic moment," according to The Washington Post, Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Mohammed Mohammed of the significance of hosting a top-level football tournament in an Arab country for the first time. He stressed that this is "an opportunity to break stereotypes about our region." Football has the power to build bonds of friendship and overcome barriers of misunderstanding between nations and peoples".

【Global Times special correspondent in Egypt, Mexico and Germany, Huang Peizhao, Peng Min, Aoki, Global Times reporter, Pan Xiaotong, Wang Yi, Liu Yupeng】