As the Fifa World Cup kicks off in Qatar, diehard football fans in Iraq are gathering at cafes and open spaces to watch the games, enjoying free access to live streams and nice weather.
A privately owned internet provider has the football covered in Baghdad after setting up a giant screen in an open space to show all games. Cafes across the country are also packed with fans.
At the courtyard of the city's Town Centre Mall in the upscale commercial hub of Mansour, Iraqis are enjoying the games in temperatures around the 20ºC mark – down from the blistering summer heat usually associated with a summer World Cup.
It is the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world and the second held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.
The championship, which started on Sunday, ends on December 18.
Uniformed waiters briskly navigated the packed fan zone set up by Earthlink, serving the fans food, drinks and shisha.
Nearby, a man distributed tickets to a sweepstake for the winning team in the tournament, offering tablets and computers for the winners. The tickets offered for free as a promotion for an app for online learning.
Young people and families sat on fluffy bean bag chairs littered around the screen, with some huddled over wooden and metal tables from nearby cafes and restaurants.
“The atmosphere is amazing and the weather is fabulous,” Abdullah Al Qaisi, a 25-year-old construction contractor, told The National.
“I feel very proud to see an Arab country hosting the World Cup. It’s a success for all Arab countries and hopes one day Iraq will be able to host the tournament.”
The atmosphere among the fans was quiet during the subdued first half of the Senegal-Netherlands match.
But it changed in the second half, as Mr Al Qaisi and other fans held their breath when the teams started to push deeper.
Cody Gakpo opened the scoring for the Netherlands in the 84th minute with a header at the end of a brilliantly timed run. Substitute Davy Klaassen scored in the 99th minute.
-
The Netherlands' Cody Gakpo scores their first goal in the World Cup Group A match against Senegal at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on November 21, 2022. Reuters -
Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring the Netherlands' first goal against Senegal with Frenkie de Jong. Reuters -
Davy Klaassen of the Netherlands scores their second goal. Getty -
Davy Klaassen of the Netherlands celebrates after scoring their second. Getty -
Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands, left, vies for the ball with Senegal's Boulaye Dia. AP -
Senegal's Cheikhou Kouyate is taken from the field on a stretche. AP -
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr is injured. Reuters -
Denzel Dumfries, centre, jumps for a header with Senegal's Ismaila Sarr, left, and Matthijs de Ligt. AP -
Netherlands' Nathan Ake in action with Senegal's Boulaye Dia. Reuters -
Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands battles for possession with Pape Abou Cisse of Senegal. Getty -
Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands, left, vies for the ball with Senegal's Boulaye Dia. AP -
Netherlands' midfielder Steven Berghuis lifts the ball past Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye. AFP -
Aliou Cisse, head coach of Senegal, speaks to Kalidou Koulibaly. Getty -
Netherlands' forward Cody Gakpo, right, misses a chance. AFP -
Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly slides in on Netherlands' forward Cody Gakpo as Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy watches on. AFP -
Daley Blind of the Netherlands, left, is challenged by Senegal's Krepin Diatta. AP -
Senegal's Ismaila Sarr and Netherlands' Denzel Dumfries collide. Reuters -
Senegal's Nampalys Mendy shoots. Reuters -
Senegal's Pape Abou Cisse, right, remonstrates with referee Wilton Sampaio. AP -
Virgil Van Dijk of the Netherlands battles for possession with Boulaye Dia of Senegal. Getty -
Netherlands' midfielder Steven Berghuis and Senegal's Cheikhou Kouyate battle. AFP -
Abdou Diallo of Senegal fends off Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands. EPA -
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy claims a high ball. AP -
Steven Berghuis of the Netherlands, left, shoots. AP -
Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy punches the ball clear. Getty -
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio gives a yellow card to Netherlands' defender Matthijs De Ligt. AFP -
Senegal's Boulaye Dia battles with Netherlands' Nathan Ake. AFP
The fan zone offers construction worker Abbas Salam from Baghdad's Jihad area a chance to enjoy the games. He arrived with his two friends.
“We can’t afford to pay the [private] encrypted channels to watch the matches,” said Mr Salam, 16, as he was putting a tick mark under the Brazil flag in the raffle.
Football is Iraq's most popular sport, followed by basketball and swimming, a poll for the Independent Institute of Administration and Civil Society Studies research group in Iraq found.
Around 77 per cent of Iraqis say they are following the World Cup tournament matches, with Argentina topping the list of teams supported by Iraqis, followed by Brazil and Qatar.
Iraq did not qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup after losing to Iran 1-0 in June.
However, Iraq will host the eight-team Arabian Gulf football tournament in January for the first time since 1979.
The 25th Gulf Cup will be held in the southern city of Basra from January 6 to 19, when Iraq will be joined by Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen.
Many Iraqis see it as a sign of their country's recovery after years of conflict, political and economic crises and uneasy relations with Gulf neighbours.
