Football fever as Riyadh’s World Cup festival opens to fans
Die-hard supporters watch at local stadium, families enjoy atmosphere of global event
Football fans flocked to Mrsool Stadium in Riyadh on Sunday for the opening game of the World Cup, as excitement reached fever pitch for the Middle East’s first hosting of the global event.
The 20,000-capacity facility had a giant screen set up for die-hard fans, with food and other activities for families looking to enjoy the atmosphere of a World Cup.
The Fan Festival is one of the 15 entertainment zones of Riyadh Season 2022 and saw hosts Qatar clash with Ecuador, to wild cheering from the assembled crowd.
Samira Al-Shehri, who came with her husband and three children to watch the match, said: “I think it’s a nice place with football-related activities for my kids to play with their dads and watch the games all in one place.
“I think the … outdoor space is refreshing, and my kids can feel the grass on the field, and they
can feel like they’re in an actual football stadium,” Al-Shehri told Arab News.
The stadium also has LED lights that turn on whenever a team scores a goal — as they did when Ecuador scored twice — which made the experience more interactive.
The festival has a DJ performing, several free esports competitions, and a virtual arena where FIFA, Fortnite, and Tekken tournaments are held.
A World Cup quiz, the “Goal or no Goal” guessing game, and other entertaining football-related activities are available at one of the interactive booths.
“The goal of the booth is to capitalize on the World Cup’s competitive spirit by having contestants demonstrate their knowledge of both football and the World Cup,” Nawaf Al-Subaie, an analyst at the booth, told Arab News.
The festival also has a virtual interactive stadium that provides a new experience for players by challenging their football skills.
In addition, it has the Fashion Hive area with shops selling clothing and sports equipment from around the world.
Visitors can also enter the Play Zone that offers activities including bowling and billiards.
The area also has 25 screens showing the history of Diego Maradona’s football career. Another section includes information about England’s Newcastle football club.
The zone opens daily two hours before the start of matches and closes at 2 a.m. Reservations can be made via the link: https://riyadhseason.sa/zones/fan-festival/ index-en.html.