The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is well underway and much has been written about the bright side and the dark side of the event.
BarrieToday spoke to a local woman, who is in Qatar for soccer’s biggest event, to get her point of view.
Haily MacDonald, who is in Qatar with her husband, says while they haven’t run into anyone from their hometown of Barrie, they have met people from Ontario and around the world.
“It’s one big party and everyone is having so much fun, not just at the games. Travelling from game to game is wonderful as we are meeting people from all over, but the Mexican fan base is huge here,” said MacDonald, whose husband is from Mexico.
They were in attendance for Canada’s first game, a 1-0 loss to powerhouse Belgium. Many analysts have called the game an arrival of sorts for Canada as the Canucks dominated much of the game.
“When we were at Pearson airport to come over, my husband was laughing at how all we saw were Mexican fans, but at the stadium for the Canada game, it was so loud for Canada,” said MacDonald. “Everyone here loves Canada and wants them to do well. I have my Canada ball cap on and everyone comes up to me and says how much they love Canada.”
She has tickets for all three Canada games and all three Mexico games up until the quarterfinals, but ended up also getting some to the Ecuador/Netherlands game that happened Friday.
There has been outrage around the world about the World Cup being held in Qatar, due to humanitarian reasons.
The country is known for its intolerance of and even laws against the LGBTQ2S+ community. Also highlighted have been the deaths of thousands of migrant workers — 15,799 between 2011 and 2020.
There have been close to 40 migrant worker deaths connected to the construction of the World Cup venues and hosting sites.
MacDonald is the acting executive director of Athena’s Sexual Assault Counselling and Advocacy Centre and participates in many events to help spotlight human rights abuses, so the idea of Qatar hosting the event was one she wrestled with.
“With the activist work I do in Simcoe County, it was a very difficult decision to make about coming to this,” she said. “We talked about it, and you can buy a tomato at the grocery store and there is such a contradiction built into that. Everything has a contradiction and story behind it that may not be good. At the end of the day, we are also seeing, possibly for the first time, Muslim imagery being put front and centre. So, it is really cool to be part of that revolution as well.”
She also said while the human rights issues are concerning, and should be, she feels completely safe, more so than at home.
“On the subway, I kind of slipped and an officer made a man get up so I could sit down, even though I explained I was OK,” said MacDonald. “I don’t have a full opinion yet, though I’m sure I will soon, but you have to ask what you would prefer between a country where you’re under constant surveillance and there is zero petty crime, or the opposite where you feel unsafe walking down the street. I feel more safe here than I do in Barrie.”
MacDonald is staying in the village that was built solely for the guests of the World Cup and she said they are “brand new and you can tell no one has stayed in them before” the visitors.
“Our Uber driver told us they only existed for three months,” she said.
MacDonald and her husband have a pact with another couple to never miss another World Cup, and they have begun saving money for 2026, which will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S.A.
“As soon as you come to one, you are hooked. We have met so many people who travel to each World Cup. Some are here at their sixth,” she said.
While she admits to not being a soccer fan her whole life, MacDonald said it rubbed off from her husband and she knows it will for others as well.
“We go to (Toronto Football Club) games and any game we can. The energy is so contagious, unlike any sport I’ve ever seen,” she said. “We will be going to games in 2026 and, with it being in Canada, it is going to make the Canadian soccer fan base even bigger.”
