Fifa World Cup: curtain falls on most politicised sporting event in recent memory
- Qatar 2022 has arguably been most politicised sporting event in recent memory, with matters far beyond the usual remit of the sporting press
- The World Cup has accelerated the transformation of Qatar, part of a project that has cost in excess of US$200 billion to date
As Lionel Messi defined an era with his World Cup victory with Argentina, so another came to an end as the curtain fell on Qatar 2022 in the most spectacular fashion.
Much has been said over the last 12 years about the hosting of the World Cup in the Gulf state; from the contentious bidding process through which the country acquired the rights, the switching of the tournament to winter and the highly public battle over workers’ welfare issues and human rights.
Qatar 2022 has arguably been the most politicised sporting event in recent memory, with matters far beyond the usual remit of the sporting press raising their heads during the long, fractious build-up to the finals.
Since the beginning of this process, when Fifa awarded Qatar the World Cup on December 2, 2010, the country has undergone immense change. In little more than a decade, new cities decked out in the most opulent garb have sprung up from the desert.
A three-line metro system, plush and efficient, connects recent developments with the old, whisking passengers around with minimum fuss on automated driverless trains. Business districts that did not exist five years ago are home to high-end hotel chains and designer stores.
