Doha Diary: Messi and his magic through the eyes of Qatar’s migrant workers

DOHA: “Where is Messi?” questioned the gleeful Saudi Arabia fans after their team’s 2-1 stunner over Argentina.

It didn’t matter if the Paris Saint Germain player had scored to put the Albiceleste ahead. It only mattered that he had failed to inspire his team to victory.

Was he no longer the same player? Was he mortal? Was he, as the youngsters these days say it ... washed?

But with one sweep of that magic left peg in a must-win tie against Mexico days later, Messi answered his critics. And the 2-0 win meant that Argentina stayed in the running to progress to the knock-out phase of the World Cup.

But first they would need to overcome a determinedly resolute Poland on Wednesday (Nov 30).

So, on my itinerary was a trip to Stadium 974, a lego-esque amalgamation of steel and shipping containers to see if Messi would, as a friend of mine had so eloquently put it, “carry his team like a backpack” once again.

But the trip was over even before it even began.

Journalists at the World Cup need to apply for press passes for each match. My request for this one was rejected. But this has happened on multiple occasions at this tournament - Singaporean journalists aren’t a priority here (fair enough) - and there was a solution.

So I queued obediently in line for a press pass at the main media centre on the day of the game. The waiting list opens at 9am every day and I made sure to be there on Wednesday morning to wait my turn in line.

I had been successful on a number of past occasions, but I wouldn’t be this time.

Time for plan B, which was to watch the match at one of the huge screens put up for fans.

But rather than head to downtown Doha, there was somewhere else I had been wanting to catch a game.

On the outskirts of Qatar’s capital sits a