The main event
Qatar’s controlling interests in football are not restricted to this World Cup, as the arrival of two major stars on the tournament stage will remind us. After all, Qatar Sports Investments owns Paris Saint-Germain, the club that feature Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in an all-star forward line.
Beyond the widespread social, political and economic issues that surround this tournament, Messi playing in his fifth (and probably final) World Cup at 35 seems the purest football narrative. Can a player regarded widely as the best ever – certainly of the 21st century – finally capture the trophy that has so painfully eluded him? The closest he has come was in 2014, when Argentina were losing finalists to Germany as Messi had an ineffectual game at the Maracanã. “The only thing I wanted to win was the World Cup,” he said after receiving the Golden Ball award for the best player of the tournament, his face like thunder.
Four years ago, he was let down by an Argentina team incapable of defending and, in losing 4-3 in a memorable last-16 match to Mbappé’s France, it seemed the baton was passed to the best player of the next generation. Mbappé scored two goals on that day in Kazan and would eventually claim the prize Messi so desired at the first time of asking – aged just 19 – as France were crowned champions in Moscow.
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Messi begins his quest against Saudi Arabia, whose crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was highly visible at the tournament’s opening match; it is no secret that the Saudi leadership hopes to host the 2030 World Cup. The Argentina squad is far more durable than four years ago. Their manager since they exited that tournament is Lionel Scaloni, briefly a West Ham player and still only 44. He has built a balanced squad, full of classic, strong defenders such as Manchester United’s Lisandro Martínez and Tottenham’s Cristian Romero.
There is a decent supporting cast of attackers, too, with Inter’s Lautaro Martínez likely to lead the line, lifting the burden from Messi and allowing him to select his moments to shine. Argentina have gone 36 matches unbeaten and are South American champions, having broken Messi’s senior international tournament duck by winning last year’s pandemic-affected Copa América behind closed doors in Brazil.
Messi took time to adjust to the added physicality of Ligue 1 but this season has been playing well, and working on his strength looks to have added a further dimension. Mbappé signed a huge contract to stay at PSG last summer, one giving him a say in the club’s footballing direction, but while there are reports of a rift with Neymar, he and Messi have struck up an understanding.
In Qatar, with France kicking off against Australia in Tuesday’s late game, he finds himself in a position his older clubmate would recognise, that of standard bearer carrying a heavy responsibility. Karim Benzema was ruled out of the tournament on Saturday, joining Presnel Kimpembe, Christopher Nkunku, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté and leaving Mbappé bereft of an all-star cast of helpers.
Talking points
Empty seats an issue again
An unfortunate trend continued into day two of the World Cup with banks of empty seats visible at all three fixtures. On Sunday, fans of the hosts abandoned their team in the second half of Qatar’s 2-0 defeat against Ecuador. On Monday gaps in the crowd were visible from the off. Senegal versus the Netherlands, the other two teams in Qatar’s group and the standout fixture in Group A, drew an official crowd of 41,721, from a tournament capacity of 44,400 (a figure confirmed by Fifa). England’s 6-2 rout of Iran fell 500 short of capacity, according to official numbers, 45,334 from a capacity of 45,857 (although some images suggested greater gaps than that). Even Wales’s draw with USA, which generated the best atmosphere of the tournament so far and had the Welsh red wall out in full force, fell short of full capacity.
Order restored at Al Bidda fan park
After overcrowding created chaos at the Al Bidda fan park on Sunday night, something closer to the intended plan was restored on Monday. With the park opening for England v Iran and running late into the night, crowds inside the entertainment space were substantial but numbers closely managed. There are few public options to engage with the tournament in Doha, making Al Bidda’s big screen a draw. The substantial Budweiser bar is also popular with travelling fans (though hardly proving a magnet in and of itself). Crowds on Monday were mainly locals, but vocal groups from Mexico and Argentina were also there alongside a smattering of England fans – including the Indian contingent from Kerala who generated most of the noise during England’s win. “We’re at 10% right now,” said their shop steward Girish. “We’re keeping the rest in the pocket for later rounds.”
Concussion controversy back in headlines
England’s first half against Iran lasted for 59 minutes after a long delay while the Iran keeper, Ali Beiranvand, received treatment after a clash of heads and then briefly attempted to play on. The decision to allow Beiranvand to try to continue was fiercely criticised by the brain injury charity Headway. “He shouldn’t have stayed on for a second, let alone a minute,” said their interim chief executive, Luke Griggs. “He was clearly distressed and unfit to continue.” Beiranvand was eventually substituted.
Grealish’s wave for young City fan
Jack Grealish’s celebration after he scored England’s sixth goal against Iran was a promise to a young fan with cerebral palsy. Grealish met Finlay, an 11-year-old fan earlier this year, and said he would do an agreed dance the next time he scored. Finlay wrote to the Manchester City player after Grealish talked about his own sister, who also has the condition. The youngster had initially requested Grealish do the worm, but the pair settled on a wavy-armed move that required less exertion.
For you Finlay ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BomJEA0oy6
— Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) November 21, 2022
Beyond the football
While the saga rumbled on with the Uefa nations who had been planning to wear the OneLove armband, Iran had their own moment of protest on Monday. Fans in the stands booed the Iranian national anthem, which the team as one declined to sing, in a show of support for people back in Iran where major protests continue. Sardar Azmoun, who came on as a substitute in the 77th minute, was given a rousing reception by Iran fans, some of whom held up protest banners in the crowd. The Bayer Leverkusen forward recently spoke up in support of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died in Iranian police custody after refusing to observe the country’s conservative dress code.
Ticketing did not go smoothly on Monday, with fans left stranded outside the Khalifa International Stadium when Fifa’s app failed. Supporters were directed to check for confirmation emails or visit ticket resolution point in the stadium. On social media England fans described the scenes as “chaos” and complained that only one window was open and that they were being forced to queue in the heat.
Global media-watch
Qatar’s local media was thrilled with how the opening ceremony went down – but less enamoured with the lacklustre defeat that followed. Muhammad al-Marri in the Al Watan wrote that “those who doubted and promoted lies and spread fallacies, their loss was heavy”, while the pro-government semi-official paper of the Gulf state, Al Raya, said it was “overwhelmed with feelings of love, gratitude and pride in our wise leadership” after Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke at the opening ceremony.
On the field it was a different matter, with Sahan Bidappa in the Gulf Times criticising a team that appeared “frozen, clearly overawed by the historic occasion”, saying: “The manner in which they crumbled against Ecuador would have disappointed the home fans.” That may have been evident by the sheer number of empty seats visible as the match approached its conclusion.
The internet reacts
There were a lot of people dismayed after England and others caved over wearing the OneLove armband, but the BBC television pundit Alex Scott was called a “legend” for adopting it when she did her pre-match piece to camera. On Sunday, the BBC had shunned the opening ceremony entirely on BBC One in favour of a piece critical of the hosts.
Alex Scott you legend pic.twitter.com/Tvzei6sh5s
— Ali Tweedale (@alitweedale) November 21, 2022
There was disappointment in the England-Iran game, though, as a potential reenactment of a legendary World Cup moment failed to materialise.
The excitement I felt. The anticipation. The hope. pic.twitter.com/qNbVYJHHaK
— Jonny Sharples (@JonnyGabriel) November 21, 2022
It was Milad Mohammadi who famously attempted – and failed – with an acrobatic somersault throw in the 93rd minute against Spain in their group game in 2018.
Meanwhile, Budweiser have reappeared on Twitter after an awkward silence, and offered the World Cup-winning country all the surplus beer they can’t sell at stadiums in Qatar. Cue wags asking if the second prize is up for grabs instead.
New Day, New Tweet. Winning Country gets the Buds. Who will get them? pic.twitter.com/Vv2YFxIZa1
— Budweiser (@Budweiser) November 19, 2022
Today’s matches
Argentina v Saudi Arabia (Group C, 10am GMT, ITV1) Having lost 5-0 in the opening match at Russia 2018, Saudi Arabia could be in for another difficult start. They face a side who thrashed the United Arab Emirates 5-0 in a warmup last week and have not conceded since a 1-1 draw with Ecuador in March, so the strikers Saleh al Shehri and Firas al Buraikan will need to pounce on any chances they get.
Denmark v Tunisia (Group D, 1pm GMT, ITV1) Having made it to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 despite the collective trauma of Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest, Denmark are aiming to go far again and will feel victory is essential here. Tunisia lost 5-1 to Brazil in September, but have impressed under Jalel Kadri with a clutch of young dual-nationality talents – including the Brøndby forward Anis Ben Slimane, born in Copenhagen and capped by Denmark at under-19 level.
Mexico v Poland (Group C, 4pm GMT, BBC One) With Mexico in shaky form, this could be the Robert Lewandowski show. As all-time top scorer for his country, the talismanic forward carries an enormous burden of expectation. He has never scored for Poland at the World Cup and will be determined to set that right against El Tri, who lost 2-1 to Sweden in their final warmup game.
France v Australia (Group D, 7pm GMT, BBC One) They may be reigning champions, but France have battled injuries and internal divisions in the buildup to this World Cup. Nothing unusual there, then. They remain absurdly well-stocked with talent and will be confident of repeating their opening victory four years ago in Russia. Karim Benzema, the team’s self-described F1 car, may have broken down at the worst possible time, but they still have a magnificent go-kart in Olivier Giroud.
Player to watch
Garang Kuol He may only have made his international debut in September, but Kuol has already stirred excitement in Australia. Aged 18, he has scored six goals in 13 appearances for Central Coast Mariners in the A-League and earned a January move to Newcastle United. Born in Egypt after his family fled South Sudan, his backstory has captured the collective imagination. He may not start against France, but a cameo would give Kuol a chance to stake a claim for the rest of the tournament.
And finally …
In an effort to avoid a potential clash between the Three Lions and the three kings, the Church of England is advising vicars to reschedule Christmas carol services due to be held on 18 December – World Cup final day. The C of E says Sunday services “could still be possible if you choose the time carefully” (kick-off is 3pm, GMT) but then asks: “What if there are penalties?” The answer to which is surely simple – pray.
