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Part 3 – Dubai and FIFA World Cup Final: Argentina vs France

The finals for both the Copa America 2024, and UEFA Euro 2024 just took place last Sunday, July 14. Congratulations to Argentina and Spain for emerging champions of the respective tournaments! My husband and I watched both on television. Of course, as my husband is an Argentinian, although we watched almost all the Euro 2024 matches keenly, we were far more thrilled and often found ourselves at the edge of our seats watching Copa America 2024, especially matches involving Argentina’s national team. The outcomes of both the final games were determined by last-minute goals. I can perfectly picture how those goals shattered the hopes and hearts of England and Colombia because I was at home with my husband when Argentina ended up losing to Germany in the final game of FIFA World Cup 2014 in the very same way.

Last Sunday, when that last-minute goal was scored by Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez, my husband cried and ran around our living room screaming madly with joy. Towards the end of this article, I will share his reaction and the reaction of Argentina team fans around us at Lusail Stadium when Argentina won the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. As a woman originally from Singapore, these are incredible reactions to football/soccer game outcomes that I would not have imagined I could witness and experience if I had not been with an Argentinian husband. Having been by his side watching every international game involving Argentina’s national team, I now share his extreme anxieties, pains, and joys to a great extent. Previously, I only had a passing interest in football/soccer in general.

On another note, what happened at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida before the start of the Copa America Final game last Sunday was utterly disappointing and regrettable, to say the least. Fans without tickets mobbed the stadium and pushed their way through while many others even sneaked into the stadium through structural small spaces such as air vents. As a result, overwhelmed security personnel closed all gates affecting the thousands of fans who had tickets. After hours of standoff in the hot and humid Miami summer heat, some fans passed out due to heat exhaustion and security had to open the gates to temporarily relieve the crush by the crowd that was pushing from behind.

Although security personnel later went around to remove those without tickets from stadium seats, many fans who paid thousands of dollars for tickets and other costs were understandably livid that they either did not get to enter the stadium at all or could only enter long after the game had started. The last I checked on July 13, the lowest resale ticket price for the Copa America 2024 final match was US $1463 excluding taxes and fees on StubHub.

Fortunately, my husband and I decided to forego attending the game in Miami so that we may save up to watch at least a few FIFA World Cup 2026 games in person instead. The exhilarating experience of watching the World Cup 2022 in Qatar taught us that we have to set aside serious money if we want to experience that ever again even when World Cup 2026 will be hosted jointly by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which means as United States citizens and residents, the venues will be “within our backyard”. We can only hope that by then, the organizers will be better prepared and well-equipped to prevent the chaos and mayhem at the Copa America 2024 final game from happening again. The authorities in Qatar kept the fans under control with a very high ratio of security personnel to fans and set up mile-long barricaded paths to and from the stadium that are lined with security forces. Thus, there was no chance for unruly mobs or uncontrollable crowds to form and cause chaos.

This article is the third and last installment (Part 3) of my sharing on my ultimate once-in-a-lifetime experience watching  FIFA World Cup 2022 football/soccer games in Qatar. In Part 1, I shared our last-minute scramble to attend the quarter-final match between Argentina and the Netherlands, and the nerve-wracking moments during the game at Lusail Stadium. In Part 2, I described our considerations in deciding to stay for the semi-finals; our tours and experiences in Doha including visits to Katara, Souq Waqif at night, The Pearl, and FIFA Fan Festival @The Corniche; watching the semi-final game between Argentina and Croatia; and the outcomes of the game. In this final and longest segment, I share the following:

• Adjustments of plans following the outcomes of the semi-finals
• From Doha to a Stay in Dubai while waiting to get tickets
• Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa
• The Dubai desert experience
• Return to Qatar for the final game
• Getting tickets for the game
• Our accommodation in Qatar
• The final game: Argentina vs France
• Before the game
• The game
• Outcomes of the final game
• After the game
• Conclusion
• Tips and recommendations

Adjustment of Plans Following the Outcomes of the Semi-Finals

Right after the semi-final game between Argentina and Croatia, feeling euphoric over Argentina’s victory and qualification to the finals, we knew we made the right decision to stay in neighboring Dubai for a few days because hotel prices in Qatar were prohibitive and being already so close to Dubai, we should not waste the opportunity to just hop over and check out what the famous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has to offer. However, we also knew that we needed to make adjustments to our original post-semi-final game plans as that plan contained provisions should Argentina not make it to the finals. Therefore, while scrambling to grab a quick after-midnight supper, take a quick shower, and finish packing to make it to the airport by 5.30 am for a flight to Dubai that was departing at 7.50 am, we discussed and agreed on the following adjustments to be made:

• Extend our stay in Dubai for an additional two nights so that we could fly back to Qatar to watch the final game on December 18 instead of flying back to Las Vegas from Dubai on December 16.
• As our originally booked flight back from Dubai to Las Vegas on United Airlines on December 16 is changeable, check the price difference if we change the itinerary to flying back to Las Vegas from Qatar on December 19 or 20 instead. If the change results in a significant price increase, book our flight back to Las Vegas on a different airline with lower ticket prices and use the flight credit from the cancellation of our flight on United Airlines towards flights to another travel destination in 2023 that we had already made arrangements for.
• Book a one-way flight from Dubai back to Qatar to depart in the morning of December 18 (the day of the final game) to arrive in Qatar before noon.
• Based on flight and hotel prices, reserve an affordable hotel room in Qatar for checking in on December 18 and checking out either on the 19^th or 20^th.
• Keep checking for drops in ticket prices for the final game right up till the day of the game itself to secure seats at the lowest possible price.

Among the above list, I could only find enough time to make a quick search on Expedia and found a one-way flight from Dubai to Qatar on the morning of December 18 on Etihad Airways at the very affordable price of US $139.75 per person including taxes and fees. We booked that flight right away. All other adjustments just had to wait till we arrived in Dubai to be finalized.

Before leaving the Fan Village Caravan City (our accommodation for the past seven nights) for Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH), we checked and found the lowest-priced resale tickets for the World Cup Final game between Argentina and France on StubHub at that time to be US $4000 per ticket before taxes and fees. We were hopeful that we could get tickets at half that price by the game day. If the price somehow did not come down, we thought it would be just too expensive for both of us to attend the final game and would then just let my husband attend it at the stadium while I watch the game on television.

From Doha to A Stay in Dubai while Waiting to Get Tickets

Upon checking in for our flight at DOH, we had quite a bit of time to enjoy the beautiful airport itself. Their sleek state-of-the-art airport passenger trains provided eye-pleasing trips within the airport and the various iconic structures and displays engaged guests with plenty of photo-taking and social media-related activities. Hamad International Airport seemed like a tourist attraction in itself.

Our flight to Dubai on Qatar Airways came with a four-hour layover in Muscat, Oman. Although Muscat International Airport (MCT) is a lot less busy compared to DOH, we were fascinated by MCT too. The airport exudes understated elegance with a beautiful infusion of modernity to traditional Arab culture. We snacked on samplings of baklava and Turkish coffee at a lovely Arab contemporary-traditional café and bought quite a selection of Omani souvenirs from a nearby store. The store had an amazing array of attractively packaged Omani traditional sweet snacks and a good variety of souvenir items. A set of frankincense with a traditional wooden burner that we bought at the store has got my husband hooked on aromatizing our home with frankincense on occasions to this day.

We arrived in Dubai close to sunset time and took a taxi to our very affordable five-star hotel located just across the road from the sprawling Dubai Mall within which entrance to the iconic Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world, is located. We loved that our mid-floor room was spacious, comfortable, and quite luxurious. Although the room was not facing the Burj Khalifa, to our wonderful surprise, it provided us with a magical view of the sunrise over the city.

The included buffet breakfast was delicious with a good spread of offerings. We had the option to sit outdoors with a beautiful view of the hotel pool against the backdrop of the city. We loved the hotel location and our room enough to decide to extend our stay at the same hotel for the needed additional two nights instead of moving to another one. We found the base room rate of about US $122 a night to be very attractive although the taxes and fees brought the total price to about US $155 per night. We did feel that some aspects of the hotel services could be significantly improved though. For that reason, we are not naming the hotel or recommending it in this article.

On our first morning in Dubai, we approached the tour counter to make tour bookings based on price and recommendations. We bought tickets for entrance to the 124^th and 125^th floor of the Burj Khalifa at around sunset time on December 15. We paid roughly US $50 per ticket. We passed on access to the 148^th floor because the tickets for that cost about double what we paid and tickets that included access to the lounge on the 152^nd to 154th floor cost double that. We also purchased a full-package desert safari experience for December 16^th. Our plan for the 17^th, the day before our departure back to Qatar for the World Cup final game, was to just rest and/or explore a little more of Dubai on our own.

After breakfast and making the tour bookings, we spent the rest of our first morning just exploring the areas surrounding the hotel on foot. We were awed by the gleamingly sleek and majestic skyscrapers and the impressively designed structures all around the hotel. They were breathtaking to see and made the mile or so walk in moderately humid sunny weather pleasing and enjoyable.

After our late morning walk, we stayed in our room for a few hours to finalize our plans for returning to Qatar to watch the final game on December 18, and for making our way back to Las Vegas afterward. Our extensive searches and due diligence led us to the following decisions and actions:

• Cancel our reserved flight back to Las Vegas (LAS) from Dubai departing on December 16 on United Airlines (UA) and use the flight credits for our holiday trip planned for the following year instead because ticket prices for flights on UA from Qatar to LAS on December 19 or 20 (after the final match) were way more expensive.
• Purchase flight tickets from DOH to LAS for departure in the very early morning of December 20 on Qatar Airways instead because we found the price of just a little over US $1200 per person (including taxes and fees) a lot more affordable. Buying these tickets cost us a lot less than the additional amount that we would have to pay to change our departure city and date on UA.
• Reserve a room for two nights from December 18 in a three-star hotel at Al Wakrah, Qatar, a city just a little over ten miles southeast of Doha. This hotel had good reviews (although not excellent), would only take us less than an hour of train ride from the nearest metro station to the Lusail metro station (excluding taxi and walking time to/from the stations each way), and was priced at US $245 per night including taxes and fees when booked through Expedia. It was a lot more affordable than hotels in Doha.
• Keep waiting for lower resale match ticket prices because, at that time, the prices were not that much lower than US $4000 before taxes and fees per ticket.

Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa

After the few hours spent resting and planning in our room, we headed for the Dubai Mall in the late afternoon. Stepping into the mall via one of the few entrances, our jaws dropped upon catching sight of a humongous aquarium with a variety of aquatic life including sharks, schools of small fish, and water plants. The top half of the amazing aquarium also served as a huge digital display featuring advertisements.

After snapping some pictures, we continued walking in the direction of the Burj Khalifa and passed rows of stores selling mouthwatering sweet treats and delicacies very nicely packed as souvenirs for tourists. When we arrived at the entrance of the Burj Khalifa in the mall, it was still too early for a sunset experience on the top floors of the tower. We found a food court near that entrance and decided to spend about an hour of late lunch there although we originally wanted to skip lunch. I went for an Arab food platter of lamb strips with humus and vegetables as sides.

Our observations and short conversations with staff at the food court and those at the stores in the mall (also with those at the hotel earlier) led us to the interesting conclusion that none of them were native to Dubai or the UAE. Most were from south or southeast Asia, or from Africa. Even the Arab workers were Egyptians, Lebanese, or those from North Africa. This was also true of workers in Qatar. None of them were native Qataris.

After our late lunch, we went through the Burj Khalifa entrance and were ushered to the queue leading to the elevator lobby. There was already quite a long line and after about 45 minutes of inching forward, we arrived at the front where we could have clear views of the elevator doors. The doors already impressed us with a large display of floor numbers as each elevator sped up and down the tower floors. When we stepped into an elevator, we were treated to a delightful virtual view of the sky and beyond. It was a clever alternative to having glass walls or windows where the elevator riders might get sick if they looked out or down while ascending and descending the world’s tallest building at high speed.

Upon stepping out on the 124^th floor, we were simply blown away by the view from every glass wall as we made a 360-degree tour around the observation deck. The views as the sunset progressed were especially breathtaking and truly magical. Looking down all around the tower, the buildings, landscapes, and structures seemed to be designed and built to provide the Burj Khalifa with such a magnificent view from the top. We could not help taking so many pictures.

When we finally decided we had taken enough pictures and spent enough time at the deck, we made our way out of both the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall, only to be greeted with even more visual treats. The exterior of the mall and surrounding towers were spectacularly lighted and decorated at night although we were not sure if it was only so during the Christmas season or a regular feature all year round. The Burj Khalifa scintillated with a changing display of colorful graphics. The tower overlooked a large lake-like water feature with captivating musical fountain performances. Surrounded by elegant stores, restaurants, and cafes, the mesmerizing sights and sounds provided the whole mall area with a wonderfully festive vibe.

We could not resist culminating our experience at the mall with al fresco dinner in a restaurant at a table facing the glittery view, the musical fountain performances, and the digital displays on the Burj Khalifa. I was starting to miss Malay/Indonesian food and was delighted to find them on the restaurant’s menu. I ordered a bowl of laksa but while the portion and seafood garnishing were generous, the dish fell a little below my expectations taste-wise. Nevertheless, I fully enjoyed the visual feast from our table, and that made dining there still worth it for us.

After a little more picture-taking by the lovely lake, we called it a night and headed back to our hotel feeling that our day was wonderfully spent.

The Dubai Desert Safari Experience

The next day, after our late breakfast, we just hung around at the hotel to be well-rested and ready for our Desert Safari Experience that late afternoon. We were picked up at 3 pm from our hotel lobby along with two other couples, and driven on a four-wheel drive to a desert dunes location. On our way, we made a stop at a store where we were strongly encouraged to buy and wear a particular type of Arab headdress. It seemed a necessity for the experience and so we obliged. The store staff wrapped the cloth around our heads in a very specific way and we later learned that it was not just for cultural immersion purposes.

Upon arrival at the dunes, we felt like we were briefly transported to a fantasy land. The sun was just beginning to set and the rays felt wonderful on our skin. The weather was perfect and immersing our feet in the soft cool sand felt like such an indulgence. The vast open space, the beautiful sun rays, the cool sand, and everything about being at the dunes made us feel emancipated like little kids who just wanted to indulge, run around, and have fun.

We were then approached by a falcon owner/trainer who let us experience having the bird perched first on our hands and then on our heads. That was when we understood the need for the Arab headdress. It was to protect our heads from getting scratched or injured by the grip of the falcon’s talons. That was indeed super cool.

Before leaving the dunes, we took up the option of trying out sandboarding. We sat on the surfboard and surfed down a steep dune. It was a truly fun and thrilling experience although a tad dangerous in our opinion as we were not wearing protective gear. I felt glad to have worn a pair of rather thick long cargo pants because my husband’s thinner pants ended up with a small tear. A woman in our tour group who wore shorts had minor grazes on one leg.  My husband was left feeling a little dizzy after the activity although he really enjoyed it. So, do consider these risks if you are planning to try out this activity yourselves when on a similar tour.

After the dune-bashing experience, we were taken to an ATV center where we had the option of renting an ATV to drive over dunes on our own. My husband and I opted out of the activity as we preferred to catch some rest. Besides, we were not willing to pay for the expensive ATV rental just to drive ourselves over dunes when we just experienced being driven over dunes on a four-wheel drive. We still somewhat enjoyed watching others indulging in the activity though.

Our wonderful final stop was at a desert camp where we were treated to delightful Arab dance performances over dinner while seated on traditional Arab camp-style furniture. The first performer was an Egyptian male dancer who performed whirling dervishes (twirling round and round while wearing a costume with a long flowy skirt). He started by wearing a colorful lighted costume and then changed into one that was alighted with fire as he continued twirling in dangerous positions. Next was a female belly dancer who started with hair-swinging acts, followed by performances in colorful costumes, and ended off with brilliant belly dances while balancing objects, including balancing a sword on her head while performing flexible moves in various positions.

Those performances were awesome but my favorite was by the last performer, a male fire-dancer with spectacular moves. He used various burning props and was blowing, breathing, juggling, and swinging fire while often dancing around fire on the stage floor too. His performance culminated with the dramatic lighting of the “Dubai” sign up on a hill to the right of the stage. He then ignited and twirled strings of fireworks there as well. An amazing and dazzling finale for the show indeed. We were truly awed!

Before getting driven back to our hotel, we were treated to a brief yet enjoyable camel-riding experience. My husband declined the activity and opted to just for a photo with one of the camels instead. As for me on the other hand, I was looking forward to that treat all night and gleefully went for it. I was thrilled! However, although I would have loved a ride of longer duration and distance, I suspected that my body might not be able to bear the activity for too long because, with the camel’s height and the way it walked, my body got tossed forward and backward quite a bit atop the super adorable animal.

We felt that overall, the Desert Safari Experience was the highlight of our stay in Dubai although all of our activities in the state were wonderful and memorable. We spent our last day in Dubai, on December 17, with some souvenir shopping at Dubai Mall and also bought an additional cabin bag for all the souvenirs that we already bought and will be buying in Qatar, Muscat (Oman), and Dubai. We turned in early that evening because our flight back to Doha, Qatar on December 18 was in the early morning.

Return to Qatar for the Final Game

Our flight back to Doha, Qatar on Etihad Airways involved checking in at an Etihad coach station in Dubai in the wee hours for a luxury two-hour coach ride to Zayed International Airport (AUH) in Abu Dhabi that departed at 4.15 am. The layover in Abu Dhabi was for 2 hours 35 minutes but we only had enough time at the airport to get our documentation cleared (including our Hayya Card validity), check in our luggage, clear security, and get a dose of morning coffee. Most of the passengers on the same flight were either Argentinians or fans of the Argentinian team. They were mostly wearing the team jerseys. We had casual conversations with some of them.

Our flight from Abu Dhabi to Doha only took an hour and due to the time difference between the UAE and Qatar, we departed and arrived at 8.50 am. In Qatar, our arrival was at the older Doha International Airport (DIA) and not at Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH). Throughout our journey since we left our hotel in Dubai, we kept checking for lower ticket prices for the World Cup final match but found the lowest still just a few hundred less than the US $4000 (excluding taxes and fees) that we found when we originally left Qatar for Dubai. It was still beyond our budget to buy two tickets at those prices.

Getting Tickets for the Game

While on an airport shuttle bus in DIA that took us from the plane to the arrival terminal, we mentioned to an Argentinian family that we were waiting to get tickets. The father in the family told us that they had tickets to sell because some members of their family could not attend the game. We became excited but felt a little uncomfortable when he told us that he would let us know the price later because he had to make some calls first.

Upon arrival at the terminal, we parted ways with the family. My husband and I wondered if it was a good idea to buy tickets from the man if we met him again. Upon clearing customs and picking up our luggage from baggage claim, we were approached by the man who then told us that he would be selling at US $4000 per ticket. We hesitated and he then told us to look for him at Souq Waqif if we decide to buy the tickets from him later.

While making our way to our hotel in a taxi, we already decided that we would not be buying tickets from that man and that we would check ticket prices on StubHub again when we arrived at the hotel. We agreed that if prices do not fall closer to US $2000 per ticket, only my husband would go watch the game at Lusail Stadium while I find a way to just watch it on our laptop screen in our hotel room. Just then, I felt I could not wait and decided to check for ticket prices on my phone while in the taxi. To my utter delight, I found a pair of resale tickets offered at a little over US $2600 per ticket before taxes and fees. We decided to grab those tickets considering prices might not ever go lower than that. Although it was still a little over our budget, it was a lot more affordable and at that price, both of us could go watch the game at the stadium. Including taxes and fees, the total amount we paid was just a few dollars over US $6000. Yes, that was still a lot of money for us but we were relieved to have found those tickets and thought that it was well worth it for an experience of a lifetime.

Our Accommodation in Qatar

Upon checking in at our hotel in the city of Al Wakrah, we were told by the front desk staff that we had to walk some distance to catch a public bus that would take us to the Al Wakra Station to catch a train to the Lusail Metro Station to get to Lusail Stadium. We knew then that it was best for us to just take a taxi or a rideshare car to get to the Al Wakra Station instead. Each ride was about 7-8 minutes. The metro ride to the Lusail Metro Station in Doha took about 45 minutes.

The only convenience we enjoyed at the hotel area was that there was a well-stocked grocery store just about three doors down from the hotel entrance. There were no attractions or interesting places to visit anywhere around the area although we knew that there were quite a few much further away in the city.

Our room was very clean, spacious, and comfortable. The bed and bathroom were all very good and met our expectations. The only minor complaints we had were that hotel staff seemed to be constantly cleaning and/or conducting some work in nearby rooms during the day, and that the café at the lobby which we were glad to see at first turned out to be not always ready to serve guests. We tried ordering drinks and snacks at the café once only to see staff scrambling to get someone to first take our orders and then get someone else to prepare the food and drinks. It seemed that we were the only ones dining there and that despite the café being open, it was not prepared to serve anyone.

All things considered, we still found the hotel to be of good value for money especially when hotels within Doha and all other hotels of the same standard that we found through the different booking websites were a lot more expensive. Our taxi or rideshare transportation to and from the Al Wakra Metro Station costs us less than US $10. During our stay, we only had to take those rides four times. With our Hayya card, our metro rides were all free.

The Final Game: Argentina vs France

After getting oriented to our accommodation area and taking a quick nap, we could not contain our excitement to attend the final game any longer and decided to just head over to the stadium early.

Before the Game

Just like our previous metro journeys to the stadium, the metro and metro stations were filled with mostly Argentinian team fans. The team’s anthem and cheering songs resounded throughout the buildings and filled the air. The atmosphere was extremely high-charged and spirit-conjuring. It was surreal and like nothing I had experienced before. So intense and beautiful. There were guides and security personnel stationed everywhere. Hilariously, near metro stations, fans had already gotten so familiar with repeated instructions from guides who used loud hailers. So much so that whenever the guides shouted, “Metro?”, the fans would respond resoundingly and in unison, “This way!”.

We arrived at Lusail Stadium at 3.30 pm. The tickets included attending the FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony scheduled to start at 4.30 pm, an hour and a half before the final game. The stadium was still a lot less than half-filled by the time we got to our seats because, apparently, not too many fans were interested in attending the closing ceremony and we saw quite a crowd standing around outside the stadium presumably still waiting for prices of tickets to fall even further before purchasing. They did not mind missing the closing ceremony at all.

As expected, the closing ceremony was nothing short of spectacular, especially when the celebration coincided with Qatar’s National Day on December 18. Vocal and dance performances were brilliant amidst scintillating colorful lights, and the pyrotechnics were simply mind-blowing.

Not too long after the closing ceremony, the Argentinian and French football/soccer teams started warming up on the field to the utter excitement of their fans. The pre-match final show that came after that was no less dazzling and extravagant than the FIFA Closing Ceremony. By the time the national anthems of the two teams were played, the stadium was already filled to capacity with roughly 70% fans of Argentina and 30% fans of France. Once again, the resounding cheers and team anthem from fans of the Argentinian team echoed throughout the stadium.

The Game

At the beginning of the game, the Argentinian team seemed to dominate the match. A penalty was awarded to Argentina when Angel Di Maria was tackled just inside the French’s penalty box at about 20 minutes into the game. With that, Messi scored Argentina’s first goal. Then, less than 15 minutes later, Di Maria scored Argentina’s second after receiving a brilliant pass from Alexis Mac Allister.

Before halftime, two of France’s top-rated players, including Olivier Giroud, were already substituted. During the half-time break, I already started receiving texts from my family and friends congratulating Argentina. I have the superstitious belief that impending victory when celebrated too soon would suffer a turn in direction. So, I thanked them but told them not to do that before the game was over.

True enough, in the second half and at the 78^th minute of the game, France’s team was awarded a penalty due to a tackle on their player, Randal Kolo Muani just inside Argentina’s penalty box. With that, France’s star player, Kylian Mbappe scored France’s first goal. Then, less than two minutes later, Mbappe scored France’s equalizer. At full-time, the score was a 2-2 draw and so 30 minutes of extra time (two 15-minute halves) had to be played.

At the 19^th minute of the extra time, Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez’s shot was deflected off France’s goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris and landed at Messi’s foot for him to immediately blast the ball into the goal. A French defender kicked the ball out but it had already crossed the goal line and validated as a goal. Argentina’s fans were ecstatic and everyone already started celebrating victory. Again, my superstitions made me wish they would not do that. I got worried when congratulatory messages started coming through my phone again.

Once again, I was right to be worried. Just about eight minutes after that goal, a penalty was awarded to France’s team as a shot toward Argentina’s goal had hit Gonzalo Montiel’s elbow and got redirected. Thus, the “handball” offense was considered to have been committed. Mbappe did not waste the opportunity to score yet another equalizer for France. By the end of the extra time, the score was a draw of 3-3, and the outcome of the game had to be decided by penalty shoot-outs. Fans of both teams were left nerve-wracked and at the edge of their seats.

Outcomes of the Final Game

The penalty shots were first taken by the star strikers of both teams, Mbappe for France and Messi for Argentina. They both did not disappoint. Then, Argentina’s formidable star goalkeeper, Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez appeared to be successful in psychologically manipulating two of France’s penalty-takers so that he (Dibu) could save the shot from one of them and cause the other to miss the goal. On the other hand, all shots from Argentina’s penalty takers scored.

When the final shot from Montiel went in, cries of utter joy from Argentinian fans filled the stadium. My husband and all the Argentinians around us were in tears. Argentinian fans were all hugging one another regardless if they knew one another or not. I was extremely happy too but I could see that the Argentinians, including my husband, were in a level of bliss that no other joy could ever exceed. The feeling I got just by being among them was incredibly exhilarating and made it the pinnacle of my once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The field was then prepared for the trophy presentation ceremony. Before the presentation of medals and trophies for the champion and runner-up teams, four awards were presented. The Young Player Award was presented to Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez, the Golden Glove Award (for best goalkeeping achievements) to Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, the Golden Boot Award (for top goal scorer) to France’s Kylian Mbappe who scored a total of eight goals throughout the tournament in Qatar, and the Golden Ball Award (for best player overall) to Argentina’s Lionel Messi. A memorable moment was when Messi stopped to kiss the World Cup trophy on his way to receiving the Golden Ball Award on the peculiar-shaped white stage.

The two teams then received their runner-up and champion trophies and medals respectively. Another round of dazzling fireworks and laser lights ensued to the roaring cheers of fans. We were overjoyed when some of the Argentinian players came to our side of the field to wave at us in appreciation, although my husband and I were a little disappointed that it was not the whole team who did so. We were still so glad that those who came included Angel Di Maria, and “Dibu” Martinez who had his two lovely little kids in tow. Being there and watching the Argentinian team and fans in their euphoric state remains indelible in my mind as an epitome of collective national success and happiness.    

After the Game

We waited around a little longer at the stadium hoping that the Argentine national football/soccer team would conduct a run/walk around the stadium to celebrate with the fans but it did not happen. We then felt hungry and thought of walking to a mall area that we saw in the distance from the stadium. Upon arriving at the mall promenade, we found most parts of the mall closed off. It seemed that an event would be taking place there. Our disappointment did not overshadow our lingering state of euphoria as we headed back to our hotel. We learned later through videos on social media that the mall was closed off because the Argentinian team was driven around the area on a bus to the cheers of fans who were already there before us. Unfortunately, we arrived too late and did not get to be among them.

Our flight back to Las Vegas was scheduled to depart at 2.55 am from DOH on December 20. We decided to spend our last afternoon in Doha on December 19 at Souq Waqif because we heard rumors that the Argentinian team might be there to celebrate with fans. I expected most fans to have already left Qatar that morning but that was not the case. We found Souq Waqif still packed with celebrating fans of the Argentinian team who still cheered and sang the team anthem. The euphoria and celebratory spirit were kept high and there were small crowds of fans that paraded around carrying the Argentinian flag. However, the Argentinian national team did not show up while we were there as we had hoped. We bought some additional souvenirs and had dinner at the souq before going back to our hotel. The hotel front desk staff helped book a taxi to take us to DOH at around midnight.

At DOH, we were once again pleasantly surprised to find so many fans of the Argentinian team there as identified by their Argentinian team jerseys. As the airport was huge, it did not get as crowded as it was at Souq Waqif, though. The fans there were delighted by DOH’s huge display of the Argentinian flag on a digital board declaring the nation as the FIFA World Cup 2022 Champion. My husband never felt so proud to be an Argentinian and we both felt that Qatar has done a truly remarkable and fantastic job at hosting FIFA World Cup 2022.

Conclusion

Attending FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, and watching the quarter-final, semi-final, and final games involving the Argentinian national team as they emerged as the champion currently tops my list of experiences of a lifetime. We enjoyed superb hospitality from the game organizers and truly appreciated the high level of safety and security while we enjoyed everything that Qatar had to offer with total peace of mind. All three games, especially the final, were extremely exciting and the atmosphere created by fans’ high spirits that were well-supported by well-thought-out logistics at the stadium, metro stations, and all the places of interest contributed to surreal and mind-blowing experiences that would remain prominent in our memories throughout our lives. Although Dubai was not the event’s co-organizer, our experiences in Dubai were undeniably a factor in making the experience utterly memorable for us as well.  

I hope by sharing my experiences attending FIFA World Cup 2022, anyone considering or already planning to attend FIFA World Cup 2026 jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States may gain some insights and useful ideas. My husband and I will register our interest with FIFA at their dedicated website and hope to get a chance to purchase tickets directly from them based on their purchasing procedures that is currently not yet announced. We know that match venues will all be more within our reach as residents of Nevada, United States. However, we are under no illusions that ticket prices and accommodations will be more affordable.

As my husband and I had already experienced the ultimate euphoria of being there to witness and be part of the event where Argentina’s national team, the team that is so close to our hearts, emerged as the champion in beautiful Qatar, we look forward to attending some of World Cup 2026 matches but intend to maximize opportunities based on our allocated budget. As we save up and based on our experiences attending FIFA World Cup 2022, I remind myself of, and offer those aspiring to attend FIFA World Cup 2026, some tips and recommendations.

Tips and Recommendations

1. Register your interest in attending FIFA World Cup 2026 at the FIFA website so that you may be kept in the know when tickets become available for purchase as well as any particular protocols in place such as the downloading of apps and/or any special visa or documentations required to attend the games in Canada, Mexico, and the United States if you are non-residents. Tickets purchased directly from the organizers, if available, are always the lowest priced.
2. If you do not have tons of money at your absolute disposal, start saving for the event now if you have not started already. Opportunities to buy tickets directly from the organizers are not usually available in abundance and resale tickets are far from cheap.
3. If you are willing to take the risk of possibly not getting tickets or only finding the most expensive categories left, wait till the very last minute to buy resale tickets and compare prices from various legitimate online third-party platforms. Prices usually drop significantly a few hours before matches if still available.
4. However, learning from what happened during the Copa America 2024 final game, please DO NOT go to the stadium(s) without tickets with plans to crash, squeeze, or sneak your way in. It is highly selfish and unfair (to take seats from those who paid a lot of money for them), dangerous, irresponsible (causing lengthy game delays and endangering the safety and well-being of everyone), illegal (you will get arrested), shameful (your faces might get caught on camera and posted on social media), and if the organizers learned from the  Copa America incident, tighter security may be in place and your attempts may end up futile. I truly hope that FIFA organizing partners based in Canada, Mexico, and the United States will take relevant notes from Qatar’s success in hosting FIFA World Cup 2022 and apply similar strategies where applicable so that a similar level of efficiency, safety, and security may prevail and fans may enjoy the event to the fullest.
5. If you are planning to attend more than one game, you will likely want to fill your time between games by visiting places of interest within and around the cities where the respective events take place. Take this into consideration when planning your budget and time. Also, consider your own fitness and energy level in making bookings because your tour activities along with game attendances will usually sap your energy faster than you think they would. Do not overbook your days and set aside plenty of rest time.  
6. Be prepared to rough it out a little in terms of travel and accommodations because the savings can be significant. The farther from the event venue, the lower the accommodation price and the savings may still be worth it even when transportation costs are factored in. Non-hotel accommodations are usually better priced especially when you have friends and/or family to share costs with.  
7. Be as flexible as possible in making reservations to ensure the ability to make last-minute changes based on situations, circumstances, and game outcomes. Non-refundable and/or non-changeable bookings are often cheaper but may be a lot more costly if you end up having to or finding the opportunity to save more money by making changes to your plans.

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