Richard Steer enjoys the highs and suffers the lows of being an England supporter at the World Cup
I am now on my third World Cup match in a week and, by the end of this tournament, I will quite possibly be fitter and healthier than Ronaldo. This is because of the distances I have walked around various stadiums to get to my transport and the amount of non-alcoholic beverages consumed in the 30C heat.
Having said that, I view this as the most impressive, well-run and happy festival of sport that I have attended – and that includes three Olympic Games.
It helps that Qatar is the first host nation to have all World Cup matches centred in and around one city. Rather than being spread all over a large country – the next tournament in 2026 takes place in the USA, Mexico and Canada – all supporters are centred in one smaller area, which makes for a super atmosphere and a multicultural and highly diverse experience.
These are not words I usually use to describe the crowd watching football at St Mary’s – my own home ground and that of Southampton FC.
I can honestly say that the sense of enthusiasm and general friendliness that I am finding here tops all other global sporting events in its unbridled joy, even in the heat, even without alcohol, at the grounds. Before arriving I had read reports of oppressive security and tight controls in and around matches. But I have seen none of that and, frankly, the welcome I have received from the Qataris could not have been more open and effusive.
>> Also read: Part I of Richard Steer’s World Cup diary
They really want to show the world their best face and, as an ordinary punter wanting to watch the world’s best football, I would say they are really delivering.
That is not to underplay that they could have made it easier to get in and out of the stadiums. I walked over 10,000 steps getting from the Metro stop and/or car park to Entrance P before reaching my seat at my first match.
The matches have all had different atmospheres. The Wales v Iran match had thousands of Iranian supporters making a huge noise, which drowned out the plucky but somewhat subdued Welsh crowd, who were much diminished by the end.
All the seats are in the shade and viewing site lines were really good, so you felt part of the action during the match
The venue was the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, around 15 miles outside Doha. It was full at a 45,032 capacity and has a huge media facade membrane on to which a series of images was projected during the match.
All the seats are in the shade and viewing site lines were really good, so you felt part of the action during the match.
The game itself ended with the Wales goalkeeper being sent off and the team losing, but there was no sense of antagonism or any undercurrent of the nastiness often associated with football. I believe the alcohol ban has made for a happier, less tense and more civilised World Cup experience and I say this as someone who enjoys the odd alcoholic beverage during a game when watching the Saints at home.
England v the USA was billed as a chance for our team to build on the 6-2 trouncing they gave the Iranians earlier in the week. It was not to be and – a bit like the match itself – the feeling in the ground was something of an anti-climax.
There were more American supporters than English and they had gone all-out with the fancy dress, red white and blue. But one of the noticeable aspects is that, since over 10,000 tickets are available to non-partisan supporters for each game, there is a large contingent of the crowd who are just there to have a good time.
It was about watching good football rather than a celebration of tribalism
The Al Khor Al Bayt stadium was buzzing at kick-off and, by the end, much subdued, having seen a 0-0 draw. The venue was different from the Wales game in that it was bigger, holding 60,000, and has a retractable roof.
The noise is quite frankly deafening and the atmosphere electric. This did not come from the contingent of English fans, who numbered less than 3,000, but from eclectic Brazilians, Polish, Saudi and Qatari fans themselves. They seem to be worshipping at the shrine of football and were genuinely agnostic as to whether the USA beat England or the other way around. It was about watching good football rather than a celebration of tribalism.
Sadly, the match did not mirror the exciting atmosphere. England had an off day and I left the ground with a sense of deflation at the football. But there was still the expectation that, by the time I returned to the hotel and a glass of chilled Burgundy, I would have undertaken a mini-walking marathon and hence felt a sense of achievement at completing a serious post-match workout trying to find my car in a car park with at least 30,000 other vehicles.
Richard Steer is chair of Gleeds Worldwide
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