As the World Cup approaches, Lebanese people transform; they don their "invisibility caps" and escape the bitterness of their current struggles to step into a vibrant green square filled with cheers. They isolate themselves from their troubled country to chase a small ball moved by feet, igniting excitement within them and turning the green field into a space outside of time and place. The World Cup in Lebanon creates a miracle of uniting people, transcending their divisions, and accompanying all their events. From the Lebanese civil war to the Israeli invasion in early June 1982 and the war in the mountains, from the liberation war to the war of cancellation, culminating in the Taif Agreement that ended the Lebanese war and ushered in a short-lived phase of semi-stability, which ended with the assassination of President Hariri in 2005, leading to a new phase of fluctuating between bloodshed and relative calm, culminating in the popular uprising of 2019 and a significant financial collapse. Many painful memories remain etched in the minds of the Lebanese, with the World Cup serving as a four-year beacon of joy among the dismal events.
**1990: Germany and the Lost War**
In 1990, the World Cup matches were held in Italy from June 8 to July 8, while Lebanon was embroiled in a different type of match—bloody and fatal—happening between Christian brothers on the land of the “eastern region.” That area was experiencing its worst days during the "war of cancellation," with barricades dividing neighborhoods, mobile bombings, resentment, fear, and a lack of electricity and resources. Amidst the terror surrounding the region, the whistle of the World Cup blew, serving as a cold drizzle that calmed fiery souls and induced a temporary amnesia among the youth of that era. "I would take a boat from Jounieh to Beirut at night under shelling," says Fadi, to watch Argentina, the world champion, at a friend's place in the vicinity of Sudanese, who had a generator, and return the next night by sea to the lodge where I sought refuge to be with my friends. During the final match between Argentina and Germany, we were on the edge of our seats until the last moments, and when German Andreas Brehme scored the penalty, I felt we lost the war and began cursing the general..."
In other areas that summer, many Lebanese lacked electricity to watch matches, yet they found solutions: "I would gather the neighborhood teens at my house," Sandra recounts, "to help me extend an electrical cord to my car's battery parked under the balcony and connect it to a tiny television that we all gathered in front of. But our joy was much bigger than the screen with each goal Brazil scored."
**1994: Brazil and the Naturalization Decree**
Things calmed down after the Taif Agreement, and a reconstruction phase began in Lebanon, promising future prosperity with the troika of Hariri, Berri, and Hrawi, even though it concealed events that would later reveal disastrous consequences. The 1994 World Cup took place in the United States, setting a record for spectators, with around 3.6 million watching, while downtown Beirut remained in ruins. Lebanese people managed to follow the World Cup easily on the Lebanese television channel. Rooftops and balconies became gathering spots as the obsession was "tuning the antenna." On July 17, Lebanon was more inflamed than Pasadena, California, during the final match between Brazil and Italy. "We were more than ten young fans gathered on the roof of an old building in Zqaq al-Blat, all Brazil supporters, and our nerves were frayed with the game time ending without Brazil scoring any goals. We expected it to repeat what happened in 1970 and crush the 'loser' Italy 4-1 as it did back then. But regular time ended, and the extra time passed quickly without any goals until a penalty was given to Italian Roberto Baggio, and when he missed, our screams seemed to echo all the way to Achrafieh. With Brazil winning on penalties, car convoys catapulted through the streets of western Beirut, and we were still afraid to roam freely in Achrafieh and eastern Beirut." Meanwhile, military operations by the Islamic Resistance in southern Lebanon happened daily, targeting Israeli patrols and their gathering centers, marking the rise of the resistance. Coinciding with the World Cup thrills, President Hariri announced during a parliamentary session on June 21 that he had signed a naturalization decree with President Hrawi and Interior Minister Bishara Merhej, granting over 120,000 Lebanese identities, later revealed to include many undeserving recipients who obtained nationality for sectarian and electoral reasons. Lebanon still pays the price for the repercussions of this fateful decree.
**1998: The Tender France**
France, which hosted the 1998 World Cup, was not gentle with Lebanon, as Brazil, the "favorite of the Lebanese," lost 3-0, shocking its fans and inviting the Germans and Italians to gloat over them. Lebanon was nearing the end of Hrawi's second term, raising urgent questions about the identity of the next president, as the recipe for bringing General Emile Lahoud to power was already being cooked up behind closed doors. As the fever of the World Cup waned, the presidential dish matured, warranting an amendment to Article 49 of the Constitution, allowing Army Commander General Emile Lahoud to ascend to the presidency.
As the ball rolled in French stadiums, a different kind of rotation began in Lebanon, which events would later prove to be a vacant cycle that never reached a conclusion or scored a goal. Minister Charbel Nahas launched a comprehensive proposal for the financial correction needed to transition from a situation where its "stability relies on covering a growing deficit and a paralyzed economy through borrowing and its temptations and techniques" to an economy that collects its resources to rebuild its savings and open up opportunities for productive investment. Although aiming in financial terms to refine public finance management and debt, avoiding any crisis in this respect!!! Nahas, along with the state, failed to achieve any goals, while new goals kept being scored against the Lebanese unable to block them.
**2002: The Bitter Rivals**
The world changed after the events of September 2001, and even the World Cup in 2002 felt peculiar as Japan and South Korea co-hosted it for the first time in history. "I don't know why I wasn't very excited about this tournament," Richard reflects, and the situation was exacerbated at its conclusion with Brazil's victory over Germany 2-0, igniting celebrations in the streets of Beirut as the Brazilians of Lebanon flaunted their flags while the Germans struggled to swallow their defeat.
But the 2002 World Cup had another flavor for Abdullah from the town of Khyam. "For the first time in over twenty years, I watched the matches from our balcony in Khyam. It's an indescribable feeling, a feeling of returning to ‘the homeland’ after liberation. The joy of gathering with the young men of the town and the excitement with every goal scored couldn't be matched except by our happiness at liberation. The party flags waved alongside Germany's flags and some Brazilian flags, and even Germany's loss that day was no loss at all." Beirut, which had welcomed an expanded Arab summit in March, seemed to be enjoying its best days on the surface. The bitter rivals Lebanon and Syria, similar to Korea and Japan, had united their efforts to make the Arab summit a success, as Lebanon hosted the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a historic visit that was supposed to signify "a remarkable milestone in the close cooperation between the two countries to face obligations and dangers," as stated at the time. In the Ambassadors' salon, the two presidents exchanged honors!.. However, the Arab summit only registered a single goal—the peace initiative launched by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, which was later not counted among the abandoned Arab goals.
**2006: A Break Before War**
The World Cup 2006 followed its predecessor after a devastating earthquake rocked Lebanon in 2005 with the assassination of President Hariri and his companions, amid numerous internal events, assassinations, and sharp divisions leading up to the War of July 2006. The World Cup, which took place in Germany and ended with Italy defeating France in a penalty shootout, offered Lebanese people a pause amidst the tragedy of Hariri's assassination and the horrors of the July War. Just three days after the World Cup ended, the spark of destructive war ignited, plunging Lebanon into darkness filled with fear, death, and destruction. "Despite my constant support for the Italian national team, I felt an emotional connection with France, which showed sympathy with Lebanon after the assassination of President Hariri and Jacques Chirac's visit to Beirut to participate in the funeral ceremonies. I felt France was one of us, and I prayed for them to win," Juliette confesses.
**2010: Spain Brings Joy to Lebanese Hearts**
The 2010 World Cup occurred during a relatively calm period following three years of instability, witnessing a summer in Lebanon filled with tourists, expatriates, and Arabs, estimated at around two million. In a poll by the New York Times, Lebanon was considered the premier tourist destination. Lebanese people and their guests cherished a golden opportunity to watch World Cup matches in cafes and restaurants equipped with giant screens, offering an exhilarating new experience. France 24 published an article at the time stating, "If you are unable to attend the matches in South Africa, we recommend heading to Lebanon, where the atmosphere will be just as fiery. True, Lebanon does not qualify for the World Cup, but the Lebanese are ready to cheer for their favorite teams and raise their flags." Indeed, the streets and neighborhoods were filled with an unprecedented surge in sports enthusiasm and commerce, reminiscent of Johannesburg's streets during South Africa's hosting of the tournament. Spain's victory over the Netherlands 1-0 in the final delighted Lebanese hearts, who grew to love the Spanish team along with their eternal affection for the Brazilian and German teams.
The fervor of soccer was only surpassed by the heated debates around false witnesses and the issuance of the indictment in Rafiq Hariri’s case, which led to an exchange of accusations among political and security factions. Only the historic visit of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, accompanied by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Lebanon, tempered the atmosphere, coinciding with a visit on the same day by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
**2014: A World Cup Amidst Political Void and Security Shocks**
The 2014 World Cup marked a setback for the Lebanese on all fronts. The World Cup hosted in Brazil coincided with a presidential vacuum in which the nation's lawmakers failed to elect a new president, alongside a series of significant events that shook the security situation to its core, the most severe being bombings in the southern suburbs that claimed victims. Contrary to the lively summer of 2010, that year's summer in Lebanon was fraught with fear and anxiety, marked by numerous crises including the electricity crisis that nearly prevented the Lebanese from watching the World Cup matches due to a dispute over the exclusive broadcasting rights. Despite attempts by then-Communications Minister Boutros Harb to negotiate with the Qatari company and reminding the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim of previous promises made to President Michel Sleiman to allow the Lebanese Television to broadcast the games, matters ran into significant obstacles. Eventually, the Lebanese Television made a courageous decision to broadcast the matches on its terrestrial station, allowing all Lebanese to watch without paying for subscriptions or purchasing cards and receiver devices. "All respect and appreciation for what Lebanese Television has accomplished," says Bishara, “but the commentary in the aging TV studios did not meet expectations and cannot be compared to the professional commentary from global channels. We bit down on our pain. There’s nothing sweeter than baklava except vinegar for free…". Meanwhile, Natalie, a football enthusiast, purchased a $400 subscription and watched Argentina defeat Germany 1-0, earning its fourth title, while some youth watched matches on Turkish channels!!!
**2018: Begging for the World Cup**
The 2018 World Cup in Russia coincided with the presidency of Michel Aoun, and despite the fierce "battle" over appointing a director for Lebanese Television, an agreement was reached after negotiations between ministers Melhem Riachi and Jamal Jarrah to allow Lebanese Television to air 22 matches from the World Cup for free on its terrestrial channel. Illegal cable distributors actively pirated some global channels, and cafes and eager fans paid the required amounts for legitimate subscriptions to access all matches. "We managed as usual, thankfully there wasn't as much power rationing as today, and we were able to watch the matches quite well...". France's victory over Croatia 4-0 brought joy to Lebanese hearts, helping them forget about the extension of the parliamentary council for another three years, the looming economic shocks, and political disputes spearheaded by Minister Bassil. As the Lebanese await the World Cup in Qatar, how will they watch it: legally or illegally, in high quality or in shaky images with fresh subscriptions or via local channels on television or streaming online? The options are open, and the Lebanese are always winners. But who will win the Qatar World Cup?
