Frontline丨In order to keep Messi until the final, the Qataris actually played such a big game

The semi-final between Argentina and Croatia was the ninth World Cup match held at Lusail Stadium, and the tenth was the final. After a bloodless 3-0 victory over Croatia, the Argentina team will continue to stay in Lusail to meet their opponents in the final. With Messi, there will be massive traffic, which is what FIFA and the Qatar World Cup Organizing Committee are happy to see. Of the 10 games at the Lusail Stadium, 5 of them featured the Argentina team led by Messi. Is this a coincidence? In the eyes of many people, this may be a "big game" played by the Qataris for their "future new city" Lusail.

Argentine team players and fans celebrate advancing to the final Red Star News reporter Liu Haiyun from the Qatar World Cup scene

Seventy thousand Argentine fans occupy Lusail

The Qatar World Cup is underway By the semi-finals, Red Star News reporters had visited all eight stadiums in the Qatar World Cup. What impressed us the most was definitely the Lusail Stadium. This new stadium, which can accommodate more than 80,000 people, is shaped like a golden bowl. Its design is inspired by the unique date palm bowls and enamel lanterns of the Middle East. Not only does it look gorgeous , two huge light strips inside stretch up and down, forming a dynamic line around the entire stadium.

This stadium is located in Lusail New City, about 15 kilometers north of Doha, the capital of Qatar. It is the main stadium of this World Cup and was built by China Railway Construction.

There is no doubt that Lusail Stadium is the stadium that has hosted the most World Cup matches among all eight World Cup venues. Among them, 4 of the 6 games that the Argentina team has played have been played here. Messi's appearance at the Lusail Stadium has simply become a living business card here. This is exactly what Qataris like to see.

Argentine fans occupy the Lusail Stadium, according to Visual China

According to statistics, more than 70,000 Argentine fans came to this World Cup, making them the largest number of fans from abroad to watch the game. scale. In every Argentina game, blue and white Argentinian fans occupy almost 80% of the stands, turning Lusail into their home court. For the convenience of watching football, most of them live in hotels and apartments in Lusail. The singing and dancing Argentine fans became a beautiful sight on the streets of Lusail and injected vitality into the new city.

Future city newly built for the World Cup

Luxail New City, located north of Doha, is a new city built by Qatar for the World Cup. A considerable part of Qatar's US$2.2 trillion investment in the 2022 World Cup is to build this city of the future, with a total cost of US$45 billion.

It turns out that the area where Lusail is located is a barren land in the heart of the desert. According to local Chinese memories, there was nothing here 10 years ago. "If you are lucky, you can see wild camels walking slowly here." But now, this city that was built from scratch has no trace of the desert at all. Lusail City covers an area of ??38 square kilometers, with 22 high-end hotels, 36 schools, a small lake, two golf courses, a subway line, and numerous underground water pipelines. Although it is far away from the center of Doha, it is no less prosperous than the capital.

Red Star News reporters observed that there are supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, medical centers, beautiful seaside promenades, etc., including the luxury shopping mall Place Vend?me named after the Paris Square of the same name. Everything is as dreamy as the game "Virtual Life".

Picture of Lusail Stadium, the World Cup final venue, according to ICphoto

Building a nest to attract phoenixes, Messi is the best business card

In the past, foreigners could not visit Qatar purchased properties, but for this new city, the Qatari government specifically allowed foreign immigrants to hold permanent property rights and obtain permanent residence rights. Qatar’s “hukou” means free medical care and free education. In apartments in Qatar, water and electricity are also free.

In order to combat the high temperature in the desert area, Lusail even installed outdoor air conditioners in parks and squares, so that even outdoors, it can feel like spring all year round.

The urban construction of Lusail is "building a nest first, then attracting phoenixes". Build the city first, and then find ways to attract residents to move in. The Qatar World Cup is a huge marketing event for this new city to the world, and their best spokesperson is Messi. Arranging as many Argentine team games as possible in Lusail is a tacit understanding reached by the Qatar Organizing Committee and FIFA.

Two of Argentina's three group stage games were played in Lusail. After they qualified as the top spot in Group C and passed all the way, they were destined to have two more games in New City. Are the semifinals and finals a surprise? Messi's image of attacking the city in Lusail is destined to be played repeatedly on various screens around the world. It will bring massive traffic in the Internet era and will also be recorded in the history of the World Cup. So, is it any wonder that some people think this is a "game they have already played"?

Messi celebrates a goal with his teammates. Red Star News reporter Liu Haiyun from the Qatar World Cup scene

Luxail New City is a microcosm of Qatar's industrial transformation in the post-oil era. This city has high hopes for Qatar and is an example of the country's plan to transform its economic structure from a single energy export to a diversified industry.

From its inception, this is not a simple real estate project. It has undertaken the special mission of planning and developing high-quality blank sectors in Qatar. And football is its advertising film introduced to the world.

Red Star News reporter Hu Minjuan from the Qatar World Cup scene

Editor-in-chief Zhijiang Editor Bao Chengli