Five odd things spotted at the Qatar World Cup so far

World Cup 2022 briefing: Day 8

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The World Cup in Qatar has, for me, been pretty plain sailing. I arrived last Friday and, as media, have been fortunate to attend matches and be treated like royalty during my stay in the Middle East. However, there have been five things that have surprised me, or struck me as odd, throughout my time in the country.

Unusual fan behaviour

At major tournaments, rival fans can sometimes come to blows.

But while there has been the odd incident here or there, supporters have been getting on extremely well so far.

Last summer, during the European Championships, supporters often clashed. Boozed-up Brits, and boozed-up people from other countries, certainly didn’t help matters.

Yet it’s been refreshing to see everybody getting on so well. Tribalism doesn’t seem to exist here, potentially with fans aware of the consequences if they step out of line.

It’s something we can all learn from back home.

Supporting countries they’re not from

I’ve used the Metro a fair bit during my time in Doha. It’s state of the art, efficient and the best mode of transport to use, though Ubers are also cheap.

But one thing I’ve observed is there are plenty of fans from countries they’re not necessarily from.

Qatar locals can be seen sporting an array of jerseys. Some wear Argentina and Portugal due to their love of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, two greats of the game.

When I quizzed one supporter about his allegiance to Poland, having noticed him wearing a Robert Lewandowski shirt, he told me he liked the player.

In England, we’re snobs when it comes to that sort of thing. Again, it’s nice to see supporters enjoying themselves – especially those from the region.

Stray cats all around

There’s a huge number of stray cats in Qatar.

Earlier throughout my stay, I witnessed a pack of five all on the lookout for food together. That, certainly, is something you don’t normally see back home.

Qatar is a rich country and, therefore, the number of cats who are left to fend for themselves is rather bizarre.

I know stray animals exist everywhere.

But I didn’t expect to see cats joining forces like that. They reminded me of wolves, staying in a pack as they look for something to eat.

Lighters confiscated

In England, you’re able to bring lighters into football grounds. Certainly, you don’t have to through tight security or haggle to bring them in.

But FIFA opted to ban them for this tournament and authorities have been strict when it comes to them.

It isn’t really a big issue for me. The grounds all provide smoking areas with barrels where lighter guns are attached for people to go up and use.

Yet some fans haven’t been so accepting of that rule.

I witnessed an argument between a supporter and a Qatar official, where the fan made it clear he wasn’t happy about having to give it up. When it became apparent he’d face the consequences if he didn’t, he soon went quiet.

Qatar security marshalling at the Metro

After matches in England, public transport is usually horrendously busy and it’s no different here.

But Qatar have workers actually on train platforms to prevent overcrowding, which is yet another method of safety we could potentially learn from.

They are stationed at every train door and aren’t afraid to shout at fans when they feel they’re being too pushy.

I actually saw a few thrown off a train because an official wasn’t happy with the way they were conducting themselves.

Yet it’s nice to know overcrowding is unlikely to happen here due to their fine work.

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