Friends,
It took four flights and a ridiculous amount of hours (and money), but I landed in Qatar in time to see England play against the USA with American and English friends. This is my third World Cup and the storylines leading up to the competition have been intense and different from past years. Yet sitting in the stadium once the matches start something amazing happens…
The match between Iran and USA has just finished—the news leading up to the match made it sound like the game would be a geopolitical event. But in reality, it was an amazing football (soccer) match! So much passion, love, and fun with fans cheering on their teams. And as soon as the game was over, people were shaking hands with fans of the other team and complimenting the other fans. Iranian fans were congratulating Americans. American fans were comforting Iranians and Iranian Americans were often supporting both teams with specially designed clothes to reflect their love for both countries. The chants of the USA and Iran were awesome—I kind of lost my voice. Most fans stood for the national anthems of both countries.
I feel grateful for witnessing today’s match. Iranians and Americans stayed for the after-party and even danced together. it was fun. Soccer is often accused of creating division and violence. Tonight, it was proof that it can be a tool for peace!
And luckily I already have my ticket for the next USA match.
Aziz Abu Sarah
Aziz Abu Sarah is a peace-builder, social entrepreneur, cultural educator, and author of Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler’s Guide To World Peace. He won the Intercultural innovation award from the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group. He was also recognized by UNSG Ban Ki Moon for his work in peace building.
