Triumph of the underdogs - how a tiny Arab country proved the world wrong

They said it could not be done, they said it should not be done, but Qatar have proved the critics wrong. The 2022 World Cup has proved to be a resounding success. Don't get me wrong, Qatar isn't perfect, but neither are the countries who were criticising them.

As an Arab proud of my roots, I'm only too aware that more can be done around women's rights as well as for members of minority communities in some Middle Eastern states. We have cultural differences around the world, and the values that we have in Arabia don't always reflect those in the West.

Until the last 20 years, we have had very little to show for all the huge oil and gas reserves, as well as a shared language and religion that we possess across the Middle East. A combination of poor leadership in some Arab countries as well as huge regional rivalries has meant that most of Arabia has failed to live up to it's potential. The Gulf countries with relatively stable societies and no interest in major wars have proved what can be achieved. You only need to look at the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman to see the progress they have made recently. Which brings us to Qatar, a tiny country about the size of Yorkshire, which dared to dream big.

Football always generates endless rounds of debates and controversies as well as bags of entertainment. Qatar 2022 was no different. Marred by controversies over worker deaths and citizens rights, Western media lined up to slam the tournament before it had even began.

The BBC did not even cover the opening ceremony, an unprecedented move by the British state broadcaster, and obviously a snub to the hosts.

All this controversy however, quickly faded away once the football actually started.

The opening matches provided plenty of drama, in a big win for the Arab world, Saudi Arabia overcame an Argentina side that early on in the tournament  lived up to it's recent reputation as underachievers.  

A few days later, Japan also claimed a memorable win, this time over the mighty Germany, who again have been lacklustre in recent years.  Germany may have been guilty of focusing too much on politics rather than football. They covered their mouths in an apparent protest against FIFA who had banned players from wearing political symbols.

I remember the night that Brazil beat Serbia, BBC pundit and ex Arsenal player Martin Keown was marvelling at the fact that the stadium was air conditioned while commentating on the match.

Similarly, Gary Lineker, a famous ex England player changed his tune, one minute he was criticising the whole event, then on Twitter was marvelling at the spectacle: :

Fast forward to 27th November, and another Arab win, this time Morocco beating the highly rated Belgium :

As I wrote this, the climate in the UK was pretty miserable. Long dark nights, combined with wet and cold weather, it is certainly not fun. Having the World Cup however at this "unconventional" time of the year was fantastic. Many a dreary evening had been lit up by yet another memorable footballing performance. There's nothing better than getting home after work and watching the highlights on YouTube over dinner, or even watching a full match, if time permitted.

Take the 28th November for example, there were three outstanding matches, it was the perfect tonic for such a depressing autumnal day.  

On December 1st we saw two more occasions where underdogs come out on top, Japan beat Spain to add to their win over Germany, while Morocco won again to top their group.

Morocco then went on to create history by beating Spain and reaching the quarter finals :

Unfortunately, despite a very spirited performance, Morocco ended up going out against France, but really made the French work hard for that victory. The great run that Morocco had in the World Cup was a great moment for the Arab world which has had very little to cheer about recently.

So I think you are starting to get the message. This World Cup has been one defined by the triumph of the underdogs, whether that was the host nation or less favoured teams from around the world, coming out on top. It's as if Qatar, Japan, Morocco etc have found in themselves a confidence that perhaps they didn't have before.

The whole event culminated in a final that has been widely regarded as one of the best in recent memory; a fitting end to an event some people did not even want to happen.

Despite all these amazing headlines, The Daily Telegraph still managed to try and spoil the party with this story :

I was quite disappointed with this story, and several other news outlets covered this in a negative light as well. In fact, giving Messi the bisht was a sign of respect but it was spun as if he was "forced" to wear it. Total garbage.  So in some ways, the tournament ended as it started, under a haze of anti Arab sentiment.

However, I suspect that most fans and spectators of the sport came away with a positive opinion of the event. It was a fantastic showcase for what modern Arabia can produce, under the right type of leadership, minimal outside interference from foreign powers as well as regional cooperation. Arabia needs to move forward, and show the world it's true potential.

I hope this is the start of many more Arab themed international events. It's about time us Arabs showed what we can do, other than pumping oil out of the ground. For so many years, Arabic countries have under achieved despite possessing huge hydrocarbon wealth.

Let's hope this changes soon.