It was day three of the Qatar World Cup before the first real talking point emerged — at least when it comes to the football. Argentina, second favourites for the tournament, suffered a humiliating defeat against Saudi Arabia, one of the lowest ranked teams.

“We expected to lose three or four to zero,” said Thamer Jamal, 35, a Saudi chemist who with his brother had driven over the border to watch the game in Doha. “Those last few minutes” — with the Saudis holding a precarious 2-1 lead — “I’ve never been stressed like this in my life.”

Unable to secure tickets for Tuesday’s game, the pair made their way to Fifa’s official fan festival, held on a patch of open tarmac between Doha’s seafront and the skyscrapers of West Bay. A few thousand spectators had gathered for the lunchtime kick-off — including Asian migrant workers wearing blue and white replica Argentina shirts emblazoned with the name of the star player, Lionel Messi. They would leave disappointed.