To quote Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United’s former manager, ‘Football, bloody hell’. Two weeks into the Qatar World Cup 2022 and the group stage is over. The top two teams in each group now go to the knock-out rounds; 16 teams are out and 16 remain. The World Cup should not be in Qatar, but the football has been compelling. I am exhausted.
The group stage is usually just a warm-up for the tournament’s knockout rounds. Group games are normally boring draws or low-scoring wins as teams try desperately not to lose. But not this time. No team won all its group games and there were goals a plenty. If there was any script no one followed it. Spain scored seven against Costa Rica, England hit six against Iran and France scored four against Australia. Some results were amazing. Saudi Arabia beat Argentina. Belgium lost to Morocco. Japan beat Germany and then beat Spain. Portugal lost to South Korea. Tunisia beat France and Brazil lost to Cameroon.
The final group games were packed with drama. For a few minutes, last Thursday night, both Spain and Germany we’re going out. Germany rallied to beat Costa Rica, but it wasn’t enough. Spain survived, but four-time winners Germany are out of the World Cup. A day earlier, Mexico, despite being 2-0 up in their game against Saudi Arabia, were going out of the tournament because they had more yellow cards than Poland. Everyone, except Poland, thought that an unfair and stupid rule, because, playing at the same time as Mexico, Poland were awful making no attempt even to score despite being 2-0 down to Argentina. In the end it didn’t matter, the Saudis scored against Mexico in the dying minutes, sending Poland through on goal difference. South Korea scored in the 91st minute to beat Portugal 2-1 and then had to wait for 10 agonising minutes of injury time in the other group match, hoping desperately that Uruguay would not score against Ghana. Uruguay did not. The USA went through to the knock-out stages after tense 1-0winagainst Iran, whose penalty appeal claim, in the last minute, was denied. A draw for Iran would have eliminated the USA.
Along with Germany, Mexico and Uruguay, Belgium and Denmark are also among those flying home. Hosts Qatar are also out. The knock-out stages await. At the time of writing, Brazil and Argentina look set to meet in one semi-final, while Spain and either France or England look favouritesto play the other, but anything could happen.
Off-the pitch, the misdeeds of FIFA and the callous, petty bullying of the Qatari authorities have tarnished this World Cup tournament, but, on-the-pitch, football remains the beautiful game. The football has been joyful. The players have been committed, but there has been no nasty foul play. For the first time, women have refereed matches at the World Cup. Fans have mixed and behaved. Japanese fans have even cleaned up and taken away their rubbish after the game, leaving their part of the stadium as they found it.
We must not forget what this World Cup has cost in the loss of human lives and dignity. The struggle for recognition and compensation for those who have suffered continues. For Qatar to improve working conditions for migrants and to respect those whose lifestyles are different would be the greatest legacy of this World Cup.
That may be unlikely, but it remains possible because football matters to people and can bring out the good in them. Despair in Brussels and Berlin. Delight in Seoul, Tokyo and Rabat. Anxiety in Madrid and Buenos Aires. Quiet confidence in Paris and Rio. Spilt beer in London and Cardiff. All these testify to a shared human experience of football that crosses borders, languages and cultures – a common bond.
It is a paradox that a simple game over which two opinions are almost never the same, and which inspires such fierce tribal loyalty can bring people, from anywhere, together irrespective of whether their team or country has won or lost. It’s because in the end it’s only a game. Football, bloody hell. The most important thing that doesn’t really matter.
