Sportswash that.
Amid everything else, all the far more serious discussions about gay rights, women’s rights and the exploitation of migrant workers, about the timing of the tournament and the lack of preparation time, the full inappropriateness of Qatar as World Cup host was laid bare. It wasn’t just that Qatar lost 2–0 to Ecuador, or the tepid nature of the performance, it was the way the stands emptied at halftime and didn’t fill up. So much for the supposedly burgeoning local football culture.
Qatar is the Asian champion. It reached the semifinal of the Gold Cup.