Official numbers travelling to Gulf State over last month revealed.
It may well be regarded as the most controversial World Cup in history, but it didn’t stop the fans turning out in their numbers with figures showing more than 1.4million visited Qatar during the competition.
With most of those football supporters now back home, and the trophy on its way to Argentina with Lionel Messi cementing his status as one of the greatest players of all time, Qatari officials will be delighted at the success of the event – despite a number of well-documented issues.
Along with questions regarding the country’s human rights record, their treatment of migrant workers, and the fact that being gay is illegal in Qatar, a raft of further problems arose before the tournament had even begun, including a journalist stopped from filming for no apparent reason and major sponsor, Budweiser, stopped from selling their trademark product in and around the stadiums.
But the football itself was outstanding, culminating in a final seen by many as the best in the history of the World Cup: Argentina prevailing in a penalty shoot-out after the game with France ended 3-3 after extra-time.
The cumulative attendance for all games will reach 3.4million – an average of 53,000 per match – with the eight stadiums used located within an hour’s drive from central Doha, with Qatar officials labelling it “an incredible edition of the FIFA World Cup – and one that will set a benchmark for future mega event hosts”.
