Supporters were turned away from the FIFA Fan Festival in Al Bidda amid chaotic scenes due to overcrowding for the World Cup opener between hosts Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday.
Security shut down access to the Fan Festival as it reached capacity and security services were pushed to physically hold back spectators seeking to get close to the entrance points.
– Borden: Opener makes clear this will be WC like no other
– World Cup roundup: Benzema out, beer sales nixed, Infantino rants
Though the venue has a capacity for 40,000 spectators, an hour before kick off there were long queues of people still trying to get entry to the park. Due to the weight of the crowd, spectators were being pushed up against the metal barriers and security guards seemed rattled as they attempted to deal with crowds.
Ecuador beat Qatar 2-0 to begin Group A play, with the stands at Al Bayt Stadium emptying out well before the end of the match.
One England fan told ESPN his left side of his body was bruised as a result of the push to get in. As fans left the fanzone later after full time, megaphones were still broadcasting messages asking supporters to move to other areas of Doha, rather than staying near the fan park.
The nearest metro station Corniche was originally meant to be only accessible to fans exiting the station, but that was shut down to prevent the overcrowding.
“It was dangerous,” one fan carrying a child aged nearly four, who had exited the holding area, told Reuters. “They let too many people in. We never made it into the main area and I was glad to leave.”
The police took about 45 minutes to clear the excess fans from the area.
