The tournament, the first held in the Middle East and most expensive in its history, marks a culmination of Qatar’s soft power push, after emerging from a 3-1/2 year boycott by Saudi Arabia and three Arab allies, including Egypt, that ended in 2021.
At Al Bayt Stadium in dusty weather with temperatures at some 30 degrees Celsius, people began filing inside, including Qatari supporters in crisp white thobes and women in black abayas. A troupe performed a sword dance. The Gulf state’s Deputy Prime Minister Khalid Al-Attiyah, in remarks on state media, said Qatar was reaping benefits of years of “hard work and sound planning”.
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