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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Malik Ouzia

Qatar to kick off World Cup 2022: Has it ever mattered less whether the host nation does well?

It’s Wednesday night, and at the Aspire Academy, about 10 kilometres north of the city centre, Qatar’s national team are holding an open training session ahead of the start of their home World Cup campaign.

Inside the entrance to the team’s base is a wall plastered with quotes from football’s great and good, from Pele, Neymar and — obviously — David Beckham. Alongside, is the team’s mantra, “Honour. Loyalty. Respect. Victory.”

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