There is one year to go before the Qatar World Cup, to be held from November 21 to December 18, 2022, but from now on Mexican fans can already know what to face if they go to the World Cup matches.
Gustavo Velasco, a Mexican who has been living in Qatar for three years and where he works as a chef at a prestigious hotel, revealed some details that you have to be aware of and be aware of if you are going to travel to this country.
For Velasco, one of the obstacles that the Mexican will have to face will be that he will not be able to “party” as he is used to, since in Qatar there are many alcohol restrictions; they don’t sell it in stadiums, there wasn’t even in the recent Club World Cup and that law will most likely be upheld.
Beer is not available anywhere and Velasco reveals that the cost is 300 pesos, a high price for Mexicans, since in Aztec territory it does not exceed 20 pesos in a convenience store; even in the Arab Cup, the most expensive ticket is 550 pesos, so two beers cost more than access to an international match.
“With alcohol restrictions (he will face), only in hotels, their restaurants, bars, a beer is like 300 pesos… if you go to the supermarket, they don’t sell, it has to be a hotel, if it isn’t a hotel restaurant It’s complicated, “said the Mexican, known as the Qatari Tiger , because of his love of Liga MX Tigers despite being born in Mexico City and who remembers FIFA has created a Fan zone where they did sell.
Other difficulties would be for the ladies, due to the laws of this country. ” Women cannot walk in the street with bare shoulders, with a miniskirt , in stadiums I have seen women, above all they give a lot of preference to those who go as a family. A friend had to go out with bare shoulders and a The lady told him that he can’t walk like that, but there are signs in the streets, in the stores of what is allowed and what is not.”
Qatar, a country that likes a Mexican touch
Rayados went to the 2019 Club World Cup and although he did not reach the Final, he played a great role in Semi against Liverpool and earned respect in Qatar; then in 2021, Tigres performed better and played for the title against Bayern Munich, falling 1-0 with a controversial hand goal. The soccer fans of this country do not forget all this and they have kept a special affection for Mexicans, according to Velasco, even before he felt that appreciation for Latinos.
“We are very loved, I have had to go out and Qatari people ask you where you are from and they are surprised that you are here from so far away, because they tend to see India, Nepal, quite European, English and they are surprised to see someone Latino, ” he commented .
Thanks to the last Club World Cup where Tigres was, the Qataris took a fondness for Mexican music, mariachi, to the extent that this year there was a Mexican party for the Grito de Independencia and the Embassy held an event for the Aztec community, in the city you could see how it was lit up with the colors of Mexico.
“When it was the Tiger World Cup, there was popular music, mariachi and they liked it; on September 15, 16 the colors of Mexico were illuminated, there were folk dances . I had to make food for the Mexican night that was on September 15 to the Embassy and the Mexican community in Qatar, it was like for 100 people. “
La bandera de #México en #Qatar2022#VivaMexico #vivaQatar pic.twitter.com/1ukzGgkRk3
— Qatar🇶🇦 en México. (@QatarembassyMex) September 18, 2021
Support for the Mexico National Team in Qatar
With the visit of Tigres to Qatar for the Club World Cup, Velasco learned that there are 500 Mexicans living in Qatar and his mission was to find those who joined the support of Tigres, since of all of them, only two were really feline fans.
“The Embassy contacted me because they were looking for who were fans of Tigres in Qatar, there were only two of us, we are 500 Mexicans in Qatar, but only two Tigres. We got together, we started taking some photos, we communicated Samuel (leader of Libres and Lokos) and I, he sent me blankets, t-shirts, and we made a WhatsApp group to make a cheer, to see who wanted to join, there were people who left their colors behind … the community agreed to support Tigres for supporting Mexico, “he recalled.
Around 80 Mexican fans gathered and now for the World Cup there could be more , the idea is that the Mexicans who are in Qatar can be a group of animation for El Tri.
“When I came I brought my shirt, my hat,” said Velasco, who is ready with a year to go to not miss the World Cup and even, in a single day, see several games, because he says that all the stadiums are very close, “you can go all on the subway, the furthest is an hour away “.