Opinion – Walter Casagrande Jr.: It was not a pleasant Cup, but we will have the final of the 21st century

This Sunday (18), we will have the final of the 21st century in World Cups.

In this century, we still haven’t had a title dispute with the two best players in the world facing each other. In this case, not only to be champion, but also to be the best in the Qatar Cup.

But it was not a peaceful and pleasant Cup, as it was in a country that does not respect human rights, treats women as inferior beings and is highly homophobic.

I’ve been here for a month and I didn’t feel like walking around the city of Doha. I visited the National Museum of Qatar and the Islamic Museum, both very interesting.

But the few times I went around, I witnessed shocking situations, which for people here are normal. At no time outside the stadiums did I find a World Cup atmosphere.

It all seems very superficial. Perhaps it was the first World Cup with a large majority of people disguised as fans who just wanted to increase the number of followers on social networks.

The fans from Argentina and Morocco put on a show, because they are authentic. They sing the whole game, from the beginning of the Cup, and as they progressed, the euphoria and energy increased.

It was a Cup that was very marked by the absence of women, from the opening show.

Fifa appointed a refereeing trio with only women for the first time in a World Cup, and that was a great achievement, but it was just a card, because afterwards the female presence on the field was not repeated.

It was the most political World Cup of all, because in addition to being bought, as the “FIFA Schemes” series shows, it was also an event to try to clean up the image of an oppressive country, something impossible.

We had Messi and Mbappé putting on shows, and the melancholy farewell of Cristiano Ronaldo.

On the other hand, we had censorship and threats from Fifa for anyone who wanted to protest, as was the case with Neuer, from Germany, and Harry Kane, from England, prohibited from wearing the captain’s sash with the phrase “One Love”.

We had the courage of the women of Iran in the stands protesting the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, even though Iranian intelligence agents were among the fans.

It is not possible to sweep all this dirt under the rug and say that everything was divinely wonderful or that it was the Cup of dreams, quite the contrary.

The country didn’t know how to treat football, violating the emotions of the true fans who screamed at the time of a goal for their national team – the organization of the World Cup played extremely loud techno music on the sound system, as if it were a ballad in Ibiza.

The differences in behavior between former Brazilian football idols and those from other countries, such as the Argentines, were made explicit.

The ostentation was thrown in our face with a “gold-plated barbecue”, confronting the crisis experienced by our society by people who should understand and respect the plight of our people.

But everything is coming to an end and I can’t wait to get to my country, my city, my home. I miss living in the society I belong to, alongside the people I respect, because I am a Brazilian.
I am in love with my city. I am a paulistano, with great pride.

In the time I’ve been here in Qatar, I’ve listened to a lot of music. I decided to enter the world of national rap, mainly Racionais MCs and my late friend Sabotage.

Therefore, I will end by honoring rap and the people of the favelas spread across Brazil, because I respect the struggle of these people in search of feeling like they belong to a society that the bourgeoisie ignores.
Rap, like football, is about commitment.

Speak up, Sabotage.

“Rap is commitment, not travel
If man gets weird, here, Sabotage
Favela do Canão, in the south zone
Yes, Brooklyn”