The first time I visited Qatar was in 1993, picture that! West Bay didn’t exist and I never imagined that 30 years later this Arab country would host a World Cup. I returned in 2004 as manager of the Al-Sadd Club and we became champions in the Emir’s Grand Cup. By living among Qatari soccer players and experiencing the sports environment in Doha, I discovered that, contrary to what is thought in other countries, Qatar has a beautiful history with football and tons of hidden talent. Today, less than four months to the Qatar 2022’s opening match, I look around, recall that 1993, the Al-Sadd era, and I feel like I’m in a movie, unbelievable!
The idea of building stadiums and arenas is wonderful, they are the temples of sports, plus it has gone in tandem with a great ability to organize and host countless world-class competitions and tournaments, always with very positive results and first-class experiences; this speaks of the Qatar’s sports diplomacy spirit. Sometimes, it is mistakenly thought that the success stories in this country are due solely to resources; this is false, the real determining factor has been the country’s leadership, its vision and idiosyncrasy, as well as its openness to learn from other stories and add the Qatari seal and ingredients.
I am often asked to compare Mexican fans with Qatari fans, what a dilemma! The Mexican passion is impossible to compare; I was the coach of the Mexican National Team when in that Monterrey stadium in the Mexico ’86 World Cup, the stands started for the first time and before my amazed eyes, the famous “wave” that ran several laps across the fans, it makes my skin crawl every time I remember it and it crawls again when I see the wave here in Qatar! It’s like a dream from which I never wake up, it started in Monterrey in 1986, and I recently watched it with great force when two Monterrey clubs arrived in Doha representing CONCACAF at the 2019 and 2021 Club World Cups.
Every country has its own way of looking at things, the vast Mexican folklore is extremely important as much as the traditions of the small Qatari society. We must be aware of differences before we dare to compare. When I arrived in Mexico in the early seventies, the population was more or less 70 million and today it is almost 130 million. In Qatar today there are almost 3 million people, but the speed of modernization in the last 30 years is impressive, and there is more to come. I have a very positive experience here, because of the strong impulse to sports that is lived and felt. I am proud to work at Aspire Academy, the best sports training center in the world.
Now, with the United 2026 World Cup where Mexico is a key co-host, I think about the Qatar 2022 legacy; there is always something to learn. Better organizational and logistical schemes, infrastructure and technologies must be incorporated. The world changes, and so does football, believe it or not; but the good thing is that it is a universal language that unites, that adds up, that brings joy. And speaking of joy, I say to the Mexicans who come to Qatar that they got an enormous opportunity to witness that the world is very different in each region, that we must accept the philosophy and ways of life of other peoples, come with curiosity, and above all respect. I respect! Let’s look for joy in every possible way, keeping in mind those who, different from me, also want to celebrate the most beautiful sport. Let’s celebrate, the time is now!
