Iraqis buy into World Cup fever, without breaking the bank

BAGHDAD: With the World Cup in full swing, people around the globe are glued to TV screens – but for some Iraqis, absorbing the full experience is proving trickier than confronting Lionel Messi on an epic dribble.

At around US$ 100 ( 85 euros), a pay TV subscription for the monthlong football extravaganza is out of reach for most, as average monthly salaries range between US$ 400 and US$ 700. But some are airing the games and even profiting from the action.

In a central Baghdad cafe, Hassan al-Sayyed has installed a big screen.

He hopes to fill his premises for every game, ramping up takings from those unable to af ford the “very high” cost of home subscriptions.

One of the biggest pulls so far has been Egypt’s second group game – a chance to see the Arab world’s most famous footballer Mohamed Salah make his tournament debut.

Hookah smoke swirling around him, Mohammed Hassan was one of many to cheer on the Liverpool ace during the Pharaohs’ 3-1 loss to Russia.

“We come here every day to watch the games, mainly for economic reasons,” he told AFP, bemoaning the cost of the pay TV subscription. With Salah’s Egypt eliminated, Hassan will now cheer on Messi’s Argentina and Spain, even while he dreams of Iraq one day making a first World Cup finals appearance since Mexico ‘86.

In Mosul, 350 kilometres ( 220 miles) north of Baghdad, just being permitted to watch football marks a fresh dawn – for three years to July 2017, Iraq’s second city was occupied by the Islamic State group. Mirroring the capital, people have crammed into cafes to watch games, happy at last to imbibe images the jihadists deemed corrupting.