It was his last dance. “Messi” printed on a million backs…Would he do it? At that moment, to me, nothing else mattered. Additional time had ended with a tie. Three goals to each of France and Argentina. 1.5 billion people around the world were glued to their television sets. But I was here live, and the honor of watching this moment overwhelmed me. People were crying in the audience beside me. It was the 2022 World Cup final played in Doha, Qatar, the first in the Arab world. As a Jordanian, I was proud of my region. 

With the penalty whistle at hand, the goalkeepers ready, the pressure increasing, a spell of silence had fallen upon each of the 88,966 spectators at the stadium. France would be starting the shootout, the first penalty taker, the decider, the French beast, the Parisian Kylian Mbappé. Goal! France led 1-0 on penalties. Next up was Lionel Messi, considered by some the Greatest Footballer of All Time. The little man from Rosario, Argentina, almost strolled to the ball. What a strike! 1-1. As the penalties progressed, the Argentinians drew ahead, up by one, with a score of 3-2. If they scored, they would win, Gonzalo Montiel paced towards the ball. I could feel the French goalie, Lloris, sweating. The French audience members could barely glance at the pitch. The tension was palpable. Montiel placed the ball on the penalty spot before the goal. He kicked. It went in! Argentina did it. The Argentinians have waited 36 years for this victory, which was accomplished last in 1986 by Diego Armando Maradona.

The cheering overwhelmed my senses. The Qatari Prince, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, stood behind Messi and placed a Bisht over his shoulders. A “Bisht” is a traditional Arab robe made from camel hair and decorated with gold. Messi raised the trophy. The audience was on their feet. The moment was complete. 

As we left the stadium, I naturally checked my social media feeds. The excitement I felt made the shock that much more hurtful as I saw message after message on various platforms criticizing Qatar for the Bisht. Western Media outlets were framing the situation as one which “ruined the moment” of Messi’s win, whereby they claimed the Bisht “hijacked” the victory. These critics perceived the Bisht as undermining a historic triumph. For example, The Independent, the day after the final, in their article, “Qatar’s billions get the picture they paid for” wrote,  “Messi was given the bisht by Qatar’s autocratic ruler, for the moment of maximum visibility that goes down in history… it ensured that, in Argentina’s moment, there was the emir’s gift, front and centre.”  I disagree completely. For me, this was about celebrating the moment through a Qatari tradition. The Bisht is a garment of respect, reflecting honor and stature. This moment was about bridging cultural divides. In my opinion, Sheikh Tamim was using sports as a platform to educate the World about Arab culture and heritage. This moment was not without precedent. In 1970, the Brazilian giant, Pele, after winning the World Cup in Mexico was honored by the traditional sombrero being placed on his head. He wore it with pride, and the world took this in as a sign of respect and gratitude from the host nation.

As I continued my research into the criticism, I found that the accusations relating to Qatar’s World Cup were not focused solely on this moment. Western media reporters had been criticizing the World Cup since its announcement. There was an international movement disapproving of Qatar's conservative values. The Human Rights Watch wrote a review on July 7, 2022, entitled, “A World Cup Shame” where they noted that, “Suggestions that Qatar should make an exception for outsiders are implicit reminders that Qatari authorities do not believe that its LGBT residents deserve basic rights.” They are correct, and standing up for human rights issues is something I believe in, and I reject any attempts to restrict individual freedoms. I have always supported positions defending human rights oppressions. I respected Colin Kaepernick when he began a trend in a 2016 NFL match, where he took a knee during the national anthem. I found tennis player Naomi Osaka’s mask-wearing, throughout her games, with black victims' names on them a creative and effective way to protest. I viewed LeBron James' post with the Miami Heat in black hoodies, in protest of the murder of Trayvon Martin, inspiring. 

In Qatar’s case however, what confused me about Western media critiques, was the hypocrisy. The same countries criticizing Qatar were also purchasing their natural gas, and their private sector was benefiting from contracts in the country, in addition to other despicable human rights abuses occurring around the world today. Sitting on the newly constructed metro with my family, returning from the match, I discussed how Western Media was targeting Qatar and the Arab world. I questioned whether Western media was Islamophobic and discriminatory towards Arabs. An example of a German commentator accusing Moroccan players Aboukhlal, Sabiri, and Ilias of promoting ISIS ideology when they pointed their fingers upwards towards heaven after Morocco's win taking them through to the semifinal. I had personally seen Messi doing the same after a goal, with no such reaction. Another example is Le Canard Enchaine, which in October published a cartoon where it depicts long-bearded men wearing Qatar’s football jersey and carrying weapons and guns in a desert, almost terrorists. Furthermore, a major Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant published a cartoon a day after Morrocco lost to France in the Semi-Final showing two stereotyped Moroccans speeding away on a motorcycle after robbing FIFA President Gianni Infantino of  the World Cup trophy. I did notice some media apologies after this fact became apparent to them, but the damage had already been done. 

On our return flight to Jordan, I reflected on what I had learned and experienced. I am proud of Qatar and what it managed to accomplish hosting the first Middle Eastern World Cup. There is always plenty of room to improve and I hope to see Qatar’s politics change and become more accepting. But, this only starts with understanding and positivity between cultures. Progress is undermined by aggression and rejection. As my eyes fell shut on the plane as I dozed off, I only had one thought… VAMOS ARGENTINA!