By Faten Omar

DOHA: Selecting Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup 2022 was a successful choice. Fans from around the world praised the presence of Arab culture and were surprised to learn that Arab stereotyping is false and prejudiced and fabricated by haters. Argentinean Juli Ledezma told Kuwait Times the atmosphere was heartwarming. She loved seeing people from different parts of the world coming together and showing admiration, respect and love to one another.

"The World Cup in Qatar was a wonderful opportunity for Arab culture to be showcased around the world. It allowed Arabs to present themselves to the world, away from prejudices and unjust criticisms against Qatar and the region in general," she said. Ledezma stressed Qatar's organization of the World Cup will have an impact on the competition in future host countries. "The organization by Qatar will leave a legacy in the competition. It also allowed people to understand what Qatar is."

Alejandro Salvino, who also attended the first Argentina game against Saudi Arabia, came from Madrid to watch his country Argentina win the World Cup. He praised Qatar's organization and how it made transportation free. "Everyone who visited Qatar will return to their countries and relay to their families and friends the truth about the Arab world. They will brag about the sights they saw in Qatar, and the last thing they will talk about is football," he said.

Argentinean Matias Villarruel came to Qatar with his friends by bike from Cape Town to attend the World Cup. They got tickets for the match at the last minute. "We are travelers who came to Doha riding bicycles. We started our journey in Cape Town, and rode 10 thousand kilometers across countries," he said. He praised the people of Qatar and how generous they are. "This trip was on a budget, and people here helped us a lot with accommodation and food. The people are very friendly."

Qataris put on a well-organized tournament, Filiamas Veritas, retired journalist and media consultant in the US, told Kuwait Times. She said Qatar organized the best World Cup. "I have covered a lot of such events, and I think this is the best organized World Cup that I have seen in more than the 10 World Cups I have covered. I'm so proud of the people of Qatar and what they have accomplished for the World Cup, not just for the Arab region but for the entire world. They have brought people together. They have created a great atmosphere for peace all around the world," she said.

"We are feeling very sad about the end of the World Cup. We had the best organized World Cup," said Hamad, a Qatari. "I am originally from Qatar and I'm really happy to see these kinds of interactions with fans with our culture. Reality is so much different than what the media says. The truth always reveals itself against hypocrisy," he said.

"We were glad to have the chance to meet different people, who introduced us to different cultures, beliefs and races. I attended several matches around the world, and I never seen the vibe of celebrations, even from the teams that lost. I think it's because there was no alcohol, people are sober and enjoying themselves. I hope FIFA considers banning alcohol inside stadiums. People are safer and many are enjoying," Hamad added.

Meanwhile, an employee at Doha International Airport said the decision to take the World Cup to Qatar upturned the small nation, expressing sadness for not having more interactions with fans from around the world. He added he is proud of Qatar for welcoming all visitors from around the world with an open heart, hoping for a beginning of a change and a start to bringing Western countries closer to Arab countries and respecting cultures.