World Cup 2022 diary: every good feeling in Qatar is lined with guilt

Away from the stadiums, there are ‘scenic’ strolls, gristly burgers and a chastening kickabout with Nedum Onuoha

My colleague Sid Lowe and I decide to take a leisurely stroll to the nearby Al Bidda Park. Good news: it’s only 15 minutes away. Bad news: you have to dodge a six-lane dual carriageway to get there. The park is practically deserted and the view of the glittering ocean only marginally tarnished by the enormous sewage pipe flowing into it. A timely and poignant reminder that in Qatar all beauty is fatally tinged by ugliness. Later, Spain draw 1-1 with Germany.

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