AL KHOR, Qatar — There was the tainted bid vote. The convoluted date shift. The endless (and tragic) construction. The allegations of alarming human rights abuses. The fear from LGBTQ fans. The climate concerns over air-conditioned outdoor stadiums. The last-minute flip-flop on beer sales. The disturbing rant from the FIFA president in what was supposed to be his greeting.
It has been, by any measure, a preamble like nothing sports has ever seen before, a prologue that could also be its own book. But this bizarre, at times Orwellian gathering in the Arabian desert is also the biggest soccer tournament on the planet. And so it was, on Sunday night, that the games finally began.
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The scene was, like pretty much everything else here, something familiar wrapped in something new. Royals and other VIPs arrived to watch Qatar face Ecuador with an honor guard of camels and horses lining the road. Men in white thobes and women in black abayas filed through the concourses and filled the stands. After much consternation, there was no alcohol being sold on site. The in-stadium announcements began, “Your highnesses, your eminences, ladies and gentlemen …” and the Al Bayt Stadium felt modern on the inside, but will have most of its frame dismantled and recycled once the tournament is over because it isn’t needed.
The fans still screamed, though. They still chanted. They still danced and sang. There were still giant flags and a massive replica of the World Cup trophy surrounded by a ring of fire on the field just before the game began. Drummers still pounded a thrumming beat for hours on the esplanade leading up to the gates, and when Qatar’s national anthem played, the players still pulled their shoulders back with honor.
The referee’s whistle blew. The players began to run. A roar reverberated around the stadium bowl as, for the first time, the World Cup had come to an Arab country.
“I feel proud to be the first player to captain our national team in the World Cup,” said Hassan Al-Haydos, the Qatari forward who has now made 170 appearances for his national team. “All my teammates are ready for this tournament.”
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This is by far the biggest stage Qatar has played on. They are the second-lowest-ranked World Cup host ever, 50th according to FIFA, behind South Africa (ranked 83rd in 2010). And the gap in talent showed as Ecuador had one goal ruled out by VAR for a very tight offside call after just three minutes and scored another on a penalty kick from Enner Valencia just 13 minutes later in their 2-0 win over the hosts.
Understandably, the home side’s players slumped a little. The Qatari supporters section behind the goal was unmoved, though, staying in full throat throughout the first half, willing its players — no matter the score — to push on.
