Reportage
World Cup 2022: the Blues await their fans for the final
The players of the France team are jubilant after the second goal against Denmark, this November 26 in Doha, in the 2022 World Cup. REUTERS - LEE SMITH
Text by: Farid Achache Follow
2 mins
If it has not been common to come across French people in Doha for three weeks, many of the Blues supporters will still make the trip to attend the 2022 World Cup final, this Sunday, December 18, against Argentina. .
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From our special envoy to Qatar,
If the Lusail stadium will be predominantly Argentinian on Sunday, there should be at least 6,000 French people cheering on Didier Deschamps' team.
The French Football Federation, which acts as the interface between Fifa and French supporters wishing to attend the matches, should obtain the quota of 3,000 places requested at the end of the match against Morocco.
This would be added to the base of the 3,000 places it already had as for each match of the Blues.
On Friday, French fans had not yet taken to the streets of Doha.
At Souq Waqif, one of the most popular places for supporters, seeing a flocked Mbappé jersey was almost a miracle in the middle of the afternoon.
To believe that only Messi would be the star of this final.
"
Maybe we have to wait for the sun to go down to see the French fans arrive
", slips a young journalist from the Qatari channel Al Jazeera.
Nothing on the horizon.
"
I know that the supporters of the Blues do not move around a lot
"
After an hour, a man passes with the jersey with two stars of the Blues.
Finally.
“
Are you journalists?
There are so few of us here that I think I answered all the French media
,” he laughs.
“
I was in Russia and I know that the supporters of the Blues do not move.
So I'm not surprised to find myself alone.
A World Cup is an enormous financial effort.
And in Qatar, it's even more expensive
,” he explains.
He spent around 3,500 euros for ten days of competition.
Hosted by a family friend who works in Qatar, he was able to at least save accommodation.
A few hours later, still no Blues fans around.
Crossed in a shopping center in the early evening, four young French people explain that this World Cup cost them around 6,000 euros each.
“
It's a passion, and it's a choice.
I know that not everyone can afford to spend such a sum.
In addition, it is not school holidays,
”says one of them.
Never mind, Mbappé and his band should be supported by a few more supporters than usual in this mad race for the third star.
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