All roads lead to Lusail

Vamos Argentina has been the resounding choir on match days and non-match days, among Argentina fans who made up a majority of the Qatar 2022 fanbase. Now there was Allez Les Bleus -- another choir to rival that. Maybe the roars of 'Allez Les Blues' was not as  deafening as La Albiceleste's 'Vamos Argentina', but certainly equal in expectation and fervour.

Ahead of the final on Sunday, there was a large contingent of France fans, some of whom had been in Doha since the beginning of the World Cup and others joining them late as the French went head to head with Argentina in hopes of defending the title.

Francois Antoniette from Paris was chanting Allez Les Bleus at the top of his voice at Doha's central marketplace of Souq Waqif, a popular destination for tourists to hang out and enjoy traditional Arab food, since midday.

"France will definitely be the champions. No Messi, he's too old for this," Antoinette announced to the cheer from his fellow Frenchmen.

"We are the best in the world and despite injuries and sickness we are in the final,," the Parisian said as he was thronged by a host of TV channels and reporters looking to hear his side of the story among the overwhelming Argentina support.

While France hope to be the first nation in 60 years to successfully defend the title, Lionel Messi hopes to bring his nation their first in 36 years. PHOTO: REUTERS

It was a busy day in Doha, which woke up with the expectation of a grandstand finish to a month-long football festival, which has not only left its mark on the football pitch but also in the lives of the people.

Having a cue that the metros will be awfully packed, with majority of the commuters heading for the Lusail Iconic Stadium, this reporter and some of his colleagues decided to take the media shuttle bus to the destination. It proved to be a much better choice even though the streets had way too many cars for a working day in Doha, leading to quite a few stoppages at traffic intersections.

All the roads, it seemed, were leading to the Lusail Iconic Stadium – the 88,966-seater bowl-shaped stadium in the state-of-the-art metropolis of Lusail, built for an estimated cost of $45b. None of those lucky 88,966 people were going to miss the spectacle of the final and the sideshow in the buildup to the final.

As the bus approached the stadium, it dawned on us as to how massive the traffic was and how difficult it was for ordinary people to make it to the venue, despite having a disciplined transport system in place. The media people were privileged, though, as our bus dropped us at the foot of the stadium, an hour ahead of the scheduled kickoff.

Inside the stadium premises, there was a sea of people clad in the sky blue and white of Argentina, the home kit that the team wore in the final, singing 'Vamos Argentina, Vamos Messi' all along their way to the galleries.

Angelina, one of the Argentina fans among the thousands, said she had to walk miles after getting off the metro at the nearest station to get into the venue. But it would be worth all that hassle, she said, if Argentina were to lift the trophy. She hasn't certainly watched the Albiceleste win the world title and was willing to exhaust herself to witness it firsthand.