Brian Homewood reports from Doha
South American fans have been the
life and soul of the party at the last two
World Cups, stopping at almost nothing
to see their teams play. In 2014, tens
of thousands of Argentinians, Chileans
and Uruguayans defied Brazil’s dismal
transport infrastructure by driving to and
around the host nation, with many simply
sleeping in their vehicles in the streets.
Last year, South Americans again
flocked to the tournament andcomfortably outnumbered Europeans.
Russia may have been distant but it was
relatively cheap, not too difficult to get
around and its policy of visa-free entry
for South Americans meant they could
visit even without match tickets.
But will even they decide to give Qatar
a miss in 2022?
The Gulf state recently hosted the IAAF
World Athletics Championships, where it
revealed itself to be an expensive andeye
witness
QATAR
Gulf of uncertainty
For fans, the 2022 World Cup will be an
expensive and soulless experience
Sign of the times...the World
Cup logo on display in Doha