Since childhood, like most people in the world, I have watched many football matches in the World Cups in different countries and continents. I had heard of Brazilian football legend Pele's name when I was an infant. I watched soccer legend Diego Maradona many times with pleasure and clearly understood how football could become politicized when Maradona's Argentina was playing against the U.K. after the Falkland War. The World Cup, which slightly becomes an ordinary event when played in Europe, turns into a great feast in Qatar.

When we all heard that Qatar was going to organize the World Cup, many of us might have been concerned about how Doha, known to be the only developed big city of Qatar, would host the entire event. Most of us were unaware of Qatar's mega-planning to construct an exceptional infrastructure. Qatar built and prepared eight ultra-modern stadiums in five cities for the event and many hotels to accommodate more than a million fans for a month. The 2022 World Cup host conducted the most sophisticated and organized preparations in the history of the Cup by combining the opportunities provided by technology with a generous investment budget.

Moroccan pride

I arrived in Qatar with the motivation and curiosity of a journalist. There were many things I wondered about the organization, including how the visiting spectators in the city would enter and exit the stadiums. And when we set out to go to the match, I noticed proper order, discipline, and organization. We commuted to the game and settled in our places in the stadium, like going to a picnic. I was lucky, like other Muslims in Qatar who witnessed the match between Morocco and Spain, where Spain was the favorite to many before the match. There was great excitement throughout the game.

Almost 60% of the audience were Moroccans, and they had extraordinary motivation. The spectators' energy most likely affected the team, and it stood firm against its experienced opponent. Morocco eliminated Spain with penalties at the end of the extensions. The Moroccan-led crowds converted the streets of Doha into a festival with great enthusiasm and excitement after the match, as we all can imagine.

Qatar's soft power

Here, it may be necessary to draw attention to the capacity of Qatar to create soft power in the world with its ability to use diplomacy and its communication efficiency. One might question whether a relatively small state needed to organize such a big event. Should Qatar need to spend that much, no matter how rich it is? I believe Qatar's global commercial and communication activities will benefit to a great extent with this organization and through successfully coming out with such a challenge.

I want to emphasize two points: Qatar has been pretty restrictive regarding LGBT practices, which have almost become a fascistic oppression globally. Secondly, it did not compromise the alcohol ban in the country and prohibited arbitrary drinking on the streets. Although Westerners do not like such prohibitions, the Qatari state was also able to handle this potential crisis without making much of a problem.

The commentators have frequently quoted that this is "the most peaceful World Cup of all times." Families can go to the games with their children and watch the games in peace with pleasure.

I also noticed that there were few Spanish football fans among thousands of Moroccans who were not nervous at all while watching the match. There was a pleasant atmosphere of friendship throughout the stadium. Qatar has seen this organization as "a golden opportunity to improve dialogue and communication bridges between peoples, bring different cultures closer together, and contribute to eliminating prejudices about the region" and has managed to create such a friendly atmosphere.

Preserving Islamic values

As a small Muslim state, Qatar has demonstrated its capacity to organize such an important and sophisticated global event. While doing all these, it set an example for Muslim countries showing how one can deliver a self-confident message to the world by preserving one's own Muslim identity and values. I am glad and proud to have witnessed such a peaceful organization full of joy.

A side benefit of this great organization in Qatar that we could not foresee was the opportunity it provided to the Palestinians. Palestinians could easily communicate their cause by mingling with groups of all nationalities, whether players or spectators. As a Muslim devoted to the Palestinian cause, I am grateful to Qatar.

A final say: in the Spain-Morocco match, I was naturally supporting Morocco wholeheartedly as a citizen of a Muslim country and sharing the same excitement that Moroccans experienced.