As the competition (November 20-December 18) kicks off on Sunday with the opener between Qatar and Ecuador, fans from all over the world are starting to arrive, helping to raise the mood in the small emirate. Clusters of Brazilian, Argentinian, English, German or French fans arrive at the airport, leave the metro or stroll through the streets, signaling themselves with songs and music.
Except that on closer examination, it is not a question of real foreign supporters. A British newspaper claims that Indians from Qatar were paid to participate in rallies of supporters of various nationalities from Friday, after being equipped with the appropriate jerseys, flags and accessories.
On social networks, in particular Tik Tok and Twitter, images of these gatherings are widely taken up and mostly mocked.
A video showing groups of allegedly Brazilian and Portuguese supporters reveals a strong majority of people who are obviously Indian. Another features supposed French fans, none of whom speak our language…
It turns out that very few foreign supporters have already taken up residence in Qatar, six days before the start of the competition.
“With my partner, we arrived there, there were a few French people but there was a very strong presence of supposed French fans when we are only a few thousand expatriates, confided a Frenchman to RMC Sport. I don’t see all of us coming to this gathering, there was a problem with proportions. Especially when you know that French fans have not yet arrived in Qatar. It was the group of “Indian fans of the France team”, well known here. On the other hand, I can tell you that they know the France team by heart.
In Qatar, the French team is supposed to receive the support of the “French football fans club India”, a local supporters’ club, but it is unlikely that the same will apply to all the delegations involved in the competition. .
During the event, some 10,000 French supporters are expected to support the reigning world champions, who begin their tournament against Australia on Tuesday 22 November.
For the daily Al Raya, “the enthusiastic and festive atmosphere of these crowds of football fans of different nationalities (…) demonstrates the failure of the defamation campaigns carried out by certain Western media and politicians”.
Faced with the assertions of the English press denouncing false fans appointed by the organizers, the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Sharq retorts that such an anti-Qatar campaign “confirms the arrogance of certain Western countries who think that organizing the World Cup must remain their monopoly.
