“THE tournament of external noise,” as Gareth Southgate put it, was capped off by the “final of records”, in the words of Didier Deschamps.
The abiding memories of this World Cup will be its many controversies and the historic brilliance of the final, as well as much of the rest of the football.
Qatar’s calculation was always that the latter would make the former worthwhile; in other words, that few people would look beyond the on-field drama to the human and moral cost of the finals. Given the breathlessness of Sunday’s showpiece and Lionel Messi’s immortal story, the hosts will almost certainly get their wish.
Being on the ground in Doha, however, the ugly side of the World Cup was harder to avoid.
This tournament was literally built on a form of modern slavery, and there was still evidence of it everywhere, from the groups of migrant workers toiling in the heat on building sites to the army of more blue-collar help propping up an unequal system.
These workers were typically subservient and obsequious to an uncomfortable degree, clearly afraid of being perceived to step out of line, which made for an uneasy and corrupting atmosphere. This was only exacerbated by the mass of FIFA volunteers everywhere, shepherding supporters around the country like it was a giant one-way system.
Denne historien er fra December 20, 2022-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 20, 2022-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Only £65k a month to live like Boy George
The Karma Chameleon singer listed his house for £17m in 2022, turning down offers. Now, he's looking for a tenant
Welcome to London, unicorn capital of Europe
We're flying far ahead of anywhere outside US for tech investment
Arteta's Arsenal evolution The next phase
Malik Ouzia and Simon Collings assess how the Spaniard will try to bring down Man City after he signs up for another three years with the title in his sights
Title fight catches fire after Gunners embrace dark side
Arsenal-City clashes take on a welcome edge of animosity
Whack the hippy gong-boho's back
It happened in Paris one grey February day. Sienna Miller was in an oversized, black leather jacket, lace-trimmed silk slip and clumpy great wedges.
There's a Starlink waiting in the sky... 7,000 in fact.Can Elon Musk stop them crashing to Earth?
As he was preparing his fields for seeding this year, Barry Sawchuk came across a giant slab of space debris. It had come from a spacecraft belonging to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.
'Politicians are only into power-mongering, corruption and cronyism'
We speak to alt revolutionary DEEPAK CHOPRA about biomarkers, his digital twin and his work to save humanity from disease
I've been waiting for a production of Godotthis brilliant all my life
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati bring a potent, tragicomic chemistry to James Macdonald’s rich revival of Samuel Beckett’s challenging play.
Trust me, the Ritz is London's bestrestaurant
To whom we turn in moments of gloom and glory can be instructive, a filter of our truest friends. I've fallen out with the Ritz a couple of times, including once after a visit to the bar which didn’t warrant a review (“But you said it was lovely!” they said.
'Healing is a dirty word'
After four traumatic years, FKA twigs is back with a new album -and a thrilling metamorphosis