People gather as they watch FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 match between Iran and United States in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Beirut: The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 brought joy to the hearts of the Lebanese people, despite their livelihood concerns, under the weight of the economic and financial crisis in the country.
The Lebanese are watching the World Cup on television eagerly, in their homes, in restaurants and cafes. This tournament united them despite their political differences, in support of their favorite teams led by Brazil, Argentina, France and Germany, as well as their unity on supporting the Arab teams participating in the World Cup: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Tunisia.
Lebanese Sports Analyst Mazen Naim told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that despite Lebanon’s suffering for more than three years from an economic and financial crisis, the World Cup provided an opportunity and an outlet to escape from their reality, alleviating the Lebanese’ feeling of their difficult living and life crises.
Naim considered that Qatar not only succeeded in hosting and organizing this global football event, but also it succeeded in presenting an ideal picture of the Arab region in general and Qatar in particular, which was praised by no less than the FIFA President himself, who said that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is the best World Cup in history.
Minister of Youth and Sports in the Lebanese caretaker government H E Dr. Georges Kallas had noted in a previous interview with QNA Qatar’s success in hosting the World Cup, considering that Qatar’s success serves as a message of peace from the Arabs to the world.
Minister Kallas affirmed that the State of Qatar has already proven through the World Cups opening ceremony and through its great preparations for the World Cup, its ability to organize this exceptional event, rendering it a civilized gathering that carries a call for peace through sports and bridging the gap between generations, cultures and civilizations. He added that Qatar has told the world that sport is capable of bringing people together a lot more than all political and international summits.
For his part, Lebanese sports analyst and former captain of the Lebanese national team Hassan Ayoub expressed QNA his happiness at the participation of the Lebanese in the World Cup activities, including traveling to Doha and presence at the World Cup stadiums, raising the Lebanese flag with the Arab masses, despite the livelihood and economic difficulties in Lebanon.
Ayoub said that Qatar brought together the world, its civilizations and cultures in a historical and exceptional World Cup whose equal not been seen before, pointing out that Qatar has put everyone who will host or organize the World Cup under pressure to organise a version similar to the Qatar World Cup.
