After a six-month tour through 51 countries, the cup which will be brandished by the winner on December 18 returned to the emirate on Sunday morning, seven days before the opening match Qatar-Ecuador on November 20.

Fifa's calls to 'focus' on football, however, still come up against European criticism over the treatment of migrant workers and the LGBT+ community, and Qatar Airways chief Akbar Al Baker dismissed 'all negative publicity orchestrated in the press" against his country.

"Disinformation has failed and, at the end of the tournament, all Qataris will feel a meter taller", he proclaimed during the christening of a huge cruise ship which will welcome thousands of fans among the million waited for a month of competition.

"I feel like that's all we've been reading in recent weeks," commented Ringo Gonzalez, an Ecuadorian based in Germany, met by AFP at the foot of the clock marking the count at countdown to the World Cup.

"It will be good to finally see the teams. I want Ecuador to succeed and see (Argentina) Lionel Messi and the other big names in action."

A poster featuring Frenchman Kylian Mbappe (left) and Argentinian Lionel Messi in the streets of Doha, November 8, 2022 GABRIEL BOUYS AFP/Archives

Messi, Neymar and Mbappé on the pitch

The American team took up residence on the artificial island of The Pearl (The Pearl) and the Australian delegation was to land in the evening.

As a result of the postponement of the tournament to the fall to benefit from milder temperatures than during the summer, the major European championships were still playing this weekend and many stars were on the pitch.

Messi, Brazilian Neymar and Frenchman Kylian Mbappé were part of Paris Saint-Germain's starting XI against Auxerre in Ligue 1 and had quite the fun (5-0).

In accordance with the laws of the conservative Muslim country, it was a bottle of rose water that was smashed on the hull of the MSC Europa, rather than champagne, and the ship's casino will remain closed while it is in the port of Doha.

The cruise ship and two other similar ones, full for the first two weeks of the tournament, will accommodate some 10,000 people, to avoid overcrowding in hotels in the smallest country to organize a World Cup (11,571 km², the size of the Island- of France).

The cruise ship MSC Europa on November 13, 2022 in Doha Andrej ISAKOVIC AFP / Archives

Flights from national carrier Qatar Airways are also full in November and December due to the World Cup, Al Baker said.

Word War

According to organisers, 2.9 million tickets out of a total of 3.1 million have been sold and fans who visit the main outlet in the West Bay district often leave empty-handed, such as Matthew Coleman, an Australian resident in Doha, and his Dutch friend Gijs Beenker, who did not find an "interesting" match.

Not far from there, in an official souvenir shop, customers are mainly European and interested in the tournament ball and its La'eeb mascot, says the staff.

Migrant workers from South Asia have bought Brazil and Argentina jerseys by the thousands, while their fate has been at the center of often acrimonious discussions since Qatar obtained the organization of the World Cup at the end of 2010. .

General view on November 10, 2022 of the Al-Bayt stadium in al-Khor, Qatar, where the opening match of the competition will be played on November 20 between the host country in Ecuador Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV AFP / Archives

The European and Qatari media are continuing their war of words over the legitimacy of the rich gas emirate to host the event.

A British newspaper reports that many fans believe Indians from Qatar were "paid" to attend fan rallies on Friday.

The Arabic-language newspaper Al-Sharq retorts that such an anti-Qatar campaign "confirms the arrogance of certain Western countries which believe that organizing the World Cup must remain their monopoly".

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".

© 2022 AFP