KEY POINTS:
- From 32 teams down to two, Argentina and France are competing to win the 2022 World Cup title.
- Shock results abounded, with the Socceroos, Morocco and Croatia causing an upset at various points.
- From interviews cut short to special fan moments, SBS's Ben Lewis gives his key takeaways from the tournament.
I was prepared for reporting in Qatar to be a challenge.
Our media accreditation required us to sign a list of rules about where reporters could and could not film. Private property was on the 'no' list, which in theory made filming most things rather difficult.
Ultimately, we did not encounter any heavy-handedness from authorities, although our Danish counterparts famously did.
If anything, police were usually eager to help and I was often approached by officers wanting to have a chat and offering to help.
But there were attempts to control the press — mostly from the PR handlers of people we interviewed.
It was clear the organisers were becoming frustrated with certain topics. Migrant worker conditions, LGBTIQ+ rights and the ability of fans to drink alcohol had been covered extensively in the lead up to the tournament.
Just days before kick-off, that frustration with Western media was beginning to show.
I was able to interview Mead Al Emadi, the Project Manager for the FIFA Fan Zone. After I asked a second question about alcohol laws (), we were interrupted by a PR representative from the Supreme Committee.
"That's it, you've had your question on alcohol," he told me.
It wasn't the only interview I had that was shut down. Football legend Yaya Touré looked pained when he was asked about plans by players to protest Qatar's .
"Jeez guys, give me a break about it," he said.
And then there was the Tim Cahill walk-out.
The Socceroos legend walked away after I asked him if he supported the release of a video the 2022 Socceroos squad .
He wore several hats at this tournament; he was a 'Qatar Legacy Ambassador', the Chief Sports Officer of the facility used by the Socceroos and was named 'Head of Delegation' by Football Australia.
Given his roles, it seemed a perfectly appropriate question to ask.
How much for a cabin in the desert?
Mates who don't work in the media seem to think I stay in 5-star hotels on these sorts of assignments.
Our accommodation was booked through an agency set up by Qatar's organising committee. It was on the outskirts of the city, in a half-complete apartment complex.
For the first several days, my cameraman and I appeared to be the only guests. Billboards outside the building showed what the area was supposed to look like, but only served to highlight the fact work was incomplete.
It could have been worse — the building next to us didn't have any windows.
It was our first sign that Qatar was not quite as ready to host the world's biggest sporting event as officials had claimed.
We spoke to countless fans who had paid top dollar to stay in portacabins. Most had air-conditioning, but they were sparsely furnished and often in less-than-desirable locations.
Many supporters save for years to go to the World Cup. It's a special once-in-every-four-years kind of adventure. And yet they had to pay thousands of dollars for sub-standard accommodation.
Dancing with Argentinians
Having all of the matches in such a small geographical area is a great idea. It means fans from across the world can come together to celebrate football, while keeping transport costs down.
Some of our best moments in Qatar were with supporters in Souq Waqif, the market in downtown Doha. There were Argentinians beating drums, Mexicans singing chants and Tunisians dancing in the streets.
Argentinian fans celebrate the World Cup results, conveying their emotions using song and dance. Source: SBS News / Ben Lewis
Matches without, including some Australian games, were much quieter. Neutral fans can make for a flat stadium experience.
One thing I hadn't expected was how many migrant workers from India, Bangladesh and Nepal were enormous fans of Argentina. Around 30,000 supporters from the South American nation had flown into Doha. But there were even more local devotees of Lionel Messi.
A highlight of our trip happened in a tiny Tunisian cafe. We ventured inside hoping to find a fan or two to interview about the upcoming game against Australia.
It turns out there were dozens of Tunisian expats there, who launched into a chant, banging drums and waving flags, before the owner insisted we sit and have coffee with him. Those are the moments that make a World Cup so special.
Here are some of the 30,000 Tunisian fans who were in the Qatar during the World Cup. Source: SBS News / Ben Lewis
Enough complaining, what about the pros?
The football has been brilliant.
Australia achieved more than most expected, teams like Morocco did even better. There were genuine shock results. Saudi Arabia versus Argentina. Brazil knocked out by Croatia. The Moroccans accounting for Spain, Belgium and Portugal.
The Socceroos defied expectations with their performance at the World Cup, winning two consecutive games for the first time in their World Cup history, and qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time since 2006. Source: SBS News
Most supporters we spoke to had a feeling there would be a outside stadiums and that was ultimately the case.
The first World Cup in the Middle East has been a memorable one. There were signs Qatar was expecting more fans to turn up.
The endless empty barricades at shuttle bus stops and venues were a sign visitor numbers were not what the government claimed.
Qatar spent around A$328 billion (US$220 billion) on World Cup infrastructure. Source: SBS News
Yet the fact Qatar is considering a bid for the Olympic Games suggests authorities still believe sport is a way to boost the country's profile and increase its geopolitical power.
The on on Monday 19 December from 1.30am AEDT.
