It was framed as the apex but when the curtain fell on Qatar's World Cup and a bisht was draped around Lionel Messi's shoulders last December, the wheels were already in motion around the next phase of the country’s sporting project.
Confirmation of a bid to buy Manchester United by a little-known banker named Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani did not arrive until a little after 8pm on 17 February, yet Qatari interest was being cultivated soon after the Glazer family announced its intention to “explore strategic alternatives” on 22 November.
To become the next owner of one of the sport’s iconic clubs was too good of an opportunity to miss for a nation whose ambition matches its unlimited wealth.
