Qatar make disastrous start both on and off the pitch

Rising out of the desert and out of nothing, the Al-Bayt Stadium provides such an arresting sight that it made for a symbolic choice to host the opening game of the first World Cup ever staged in the Middle East.

- RICHARD JOLLY

For the Al-Bayt, perhaps, read Qatar, propelled to prominence by its vast resources and huge ambitions, showcasing them through football.

The Al-Bayt’s roof is modelled on Bedouin tents rather than, say, the Bet365 Stadium in Stoke, lending it a local feel. Outside, there was a parade of camels, all ridden by men in thawbs, to welcome visitors. For the avoidance of doubt, that is also something rarely seen in Stoke, even if Tony Pulis might have appreciated the camels’ ability to intimidate.

On a night that offered an illustration of what Qatar’s 220bn did and did not buy them, the first impression, of the Al-Bayt coming into view, might have been the most impressive. A spectacular light show and a firework display that went off perfectly followed, but Qatar delivered neither the performance the hosts required nor the logistical competence to ensure everything worked smoothly.

The colossal cost of this month is measured in Qatari rials; in another respect, it is unknown or, at the least, not disclosed, in terms of the lives lost in the construction of the venues for the most controversial World Cup of all. This is why most of the objections to Qatar have been moral. The assumption was they would at least succeed at the practical. And, to put it bluntly, they failed.