My experience watching FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha

Over the last few days (November 21-26, 2022), I was in Doha, Qatar, with my friends to experience the FIFA World Cup. I should confess upfront: I have no idea how football is played. When my friends, die-hard football fans, began planning their visit to Doha for the tournament several months ago, I volunteered to tag along. My main interest was exploring Doha, one of the richest cities in the world, and witnessing how the country built seven out of eight stadiums and an entire metro line for this massive event. The scale of their ambition fascinated me.

An Unexpectedly Fantastic Trip

The visit turned out to be unexpectedly fantastic. My worries about unruly fans and poor crowd management were quickly put to rest. The arrangements by the Qatari authorities were among the best I’ve seen anywhere. Apart from watching one match, which was a lot of fun, I enjoyed exploring Doha’s landmarks—the National Museum of Qatar, the Museum of Islamic Arts, the Qatar National Library, Souq Waqif, and some impressive malls. The food was another highlight of the trip, and vegetarian options were surprisingly easy to find.

Hayya Card and the FIFA App

For this year’s FIFA World Cup, 32 teams were participating. I had booked tickets for only one match. Interestingly, the match ticket, which was sold via a lottery system, doubled as an entry permit to Qatar. Called the Hayya Entry Permit, this served as a visa for all ticket holders. The Hayya Card, available through a mobile app, was also your entry pass to stadiums and offered free metro and last-mile bus rides throughout the city.

Unbelievable Crowd Management

Given that over 2 million fans were expected in Doha, I was concerned about crowd management. However, to my surprise, everything was handled smoothly. While it’s easy to say that Qatar’s wealth (thanks to natural gas) bought them the best infrastructure, I must admit I was amazed at the seamless and almost invisible security arrangements. People—from taxi drivers to security staff at stadiums—were polite and welcoming. The locals we met in parks and malls were friendly too. Despite being an Islamic country, the city felt modern and open. I was surprised to learn that over 90% of Doha’s 2.6 million residents are expatriates, with over 21% being Indians. Most taxi drivers we met were from Kerala, as was the staff at the small convenience store near our service apartment.

Visiting Lusail Stadium

On the second day of our visit (22nd November 2022), my friends had tickets for a match at Lusail Stadium. I joined them just to see the venue and experience the atmosphere outside. We took a taxi but were dropped some distance away, as traffic was restricted. The golden, bowl-shaped stadium looked magnificent, even from afar. Watching fans pouring out of the metro station and walking toward the stadium was an experience in itself – see the video clip I had taken. To think that people from over 150 countries, all rooting for their favourite teams, were behaving in unison was fascinating.

Watching Spain vs Costa Rica at Al Thumama Stadium

On the third day, I watched my first-ever World Cup football match—Spain vs Costa Rica—at Al Thumama Stadium. We went several hours early, which turned out to be a wise decision. From the metro station, we had to walk nearly 1.5 kilometres to reach the security area, where the checks were as tight as at an airport. The Hayya Card and FIFA app served as our entry permits.

Outside the stadium, fans were already celebrating with music and cheering. We climbed several levels to reach our seats, and once seated, I realised how massive the stadium was. Imagine hosting over 40,000 people—every seat was occupied!

Before the match, players from both teams were practising on the field, illuminated under floodlights. The lush green pitch looked magical. As the national flags of Spain and Costa Rica were unveiled at the centre of the field, the atmosphere became electric. Even though I didn’t follow the sport, I couldn’t help but be swept up by the energy of the crowd. Spain dominated the game and won 7-0.

One interesting observation: When I went to buy a water bottle, they removed the cap before handing it to me. This was a safety measure to prevent fans from throwing bottle caps during matches.

At the end of the match, the exit process was equally smooth, with fans leaving in an orderly manner.

Final Thoughts

Overall, my trip to Doha for the FIFA World Cup was an experience I’ll never forget. The city’s infrastructure, the energy at the stadiums, and the seamless organisation made it truly memorable. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t follow football, it was fascinating to see a global event of this scale come together so perfectly.