Applause for Messi and Mbappe. It’s rare for a World Cup to end with the two protagonists fighting head to head for the title, artillery and the competition’s star award. Give it up for Qatar’s poster boys, an issue so debated at the start of this venture across the Middle East. Human rights are non-negotiable.
Rarely has this phrase been accompanied by the names of Messi and Mbappé. Neymar is also on the list of those paid to work for the emir. Paris Saint-Germain is sponsored by Qatar Airways and Qatar National Bank (QNB). The airline, founded by the royal family, is still 50% owned by the government.
So Mbappé, Messi and Neymar work for the dictatorship.
The recently disputed Legends Cup brought together more than one hundred former celebrity players, many of whom spent the Cup receiving FIFA per diems and perks that guaranteed they wouldn’t spend even a measly penny for a cup of coffee.
The tournament was played at the Khalifa Complex, close to the stadium where the third place game between Morocco and Croatia will be played today.
Colombian Catalina Usme provided assists and scored goals. Clarence Seedorf was, as always, in good physical shape, the opposite of Sneijder and Stoitchkov, who distributed passes and dribbles. The Bulgarian’s ability to finish is incredible, even today.
Nuno Gomes, 69 minutes in Cups and one goal, showed his annoyance when trying to autograph a T-shirt for a fan who couldn’t stretch it enough for the pen to work. Pizarro, no Cup, dribbled, finished, gave a show of ball and sympathy. All paid with Qatari money.
There were thin, fat, white, black, supposedly a homosexual athlete. Finally, a bath of diversity in the World Cup. Of course, only the poor were missing.
It was possible to admire the Arab culture in the first World Cup in the Middle East, without forgetting to observe all the details. Human rights are non-negotiable and nothing pays your conscience.
It’s not just Mbappé, Neymar, Messi and celebrity stars. Pep Guardiola renewed his contract with Manchester City, the other club-state, financed by Ettihad, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, also an oppressive dictatorship.
Not all Arabs are Muslims, not all Muslims are Arabs, there are all kinds of terrorists, there are and have been dictators on all continents and the question is who accepts to work for them, be financed by them, direct or indirectly promote them.
Nobody will stop applauding Messi and Mbappé for the brilliant World Cup they put on. It just doesn’t hurt to remember that Paris Saint-Germain is a Qatari club, based in France, just as Manchester City is a team from the United Arab Emirates, based in England. They are maintained by dictatorships and the salaries of their stars are largely paid with this money.
On the field, Messi x Mbappé repeat the rare case of Romário and Roberto Baggio, in the United States. The best player in the world in 1993 against whom he succeeded in 1994. The two had five goals and could join the top scorers of the Cup, Stoitchkov and Salenko. The decision was a 0-0 punished by the midday heat in Los Angeles. This Sunday, the final will be at 6 pm, in Qatar, with a likely temperature of 24 degrees.
The world will applaud Messi or Mbappé. Don’t forget Qatar.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
