After a World Cup start clouded by a disastrous loss and persistent questions about the civil unrest back home, Iran is celebrating the prospect of its first ever trip to the knockout stage. But first, Team Melli faces the United States. Iran defeated Wales 2-0 Friday and collected the three points to rise from the bottom of Group B. England and the United States played to a scoreless draw on the same day — setting up a politically fraught match between Iran and the Americans on Tuesday that will decide which team goes through to the round of 16. The prospects of advancement certainly weren't as bright at the start of the tournament when Iran was routed by England 6-2. “I told the players, very clear: Football is a game of a different moments. It’s not because you win or you don’t win. Sometimes you lose your dignity, you lose your honor. After the first game, we were bleeding in our pride,” said Carlos Queiroz, the Portuguese coach who also led Team Melli at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. Queiroz's task was to convince his team that all was not lost. But at the same time, Iran's players were facing pressure to answer for the wave of protests in Iran. The turmoil was sparked by 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's death in September while in custody for allegedly violating Iran's compulsory dress code for women. Her death has become a rallying cry against the country's treatment of women. Read more: Iran government supporters confront protesters at World Cup The players did not sing the national anthem before the loss to England in an apparent show of solidarity with protestors, but in the days before the match against Wales, it became clear that the team wanted to focus solely on soccer. Queiroz even sparred verbally with a reporter following a pre-match news conference. The tensions were heightened following the reported arrest Thursday of former national team player Voria Ghafouri in Iran for his criticism of the government. The players sang their anthem, although not forcefully, before the game against Wales and then went on to win on a pair of second-half stoppage-time goals. Rouzbeh Cheshmi, who scored the go-ahead goal, suggested afterward the team felt pressured. “I believe at this time, certain things happened for the players that were not quite fair. I believe that they were judged improperly and therefore they received some non-football pressures," Cheshmi said. "I believe that the entire family of the Team Melli helped each other and as a result the entire team were able to win. I scored the goal, that is true, but the team did the work.” But Iran could not entirely escape the discord at home: Outside the stadium pro-government fans clashed with the few who dared to wear “Women, Life, Liberty” T-shirts, a slogan of the movement. Those in the shirts had to change before they were allowed in the stadium. While the victory gave Iran back its joy, in the words of Quieroz, it will undoubtedly bring even more focus on geopolitics ahead of the deciding match with the United States. In addition to the over-arching tensions between the two nations, U.S. Soccer had taken a progressive stand for women's rights, granting equal pay between its men's and women's team — including the equal division of World Cup prize money. As it stands in Group B, if Iran can beat the United States, it will move on. The Americans win and they'll advance, but a draw or a loss sends them home. England leads the group after the scoreless draw with the Americans. England will qualify for the knockout stage with a win or a draw against Wales. The Welsh will need a victory to keep even slim hopes of advancing alive. Read more:| World Cup 2022: Cheshmi’s late goal sends Iran to 2-0 win over Wales If Wales beats England, Iran will need at least a draw against the United States and goal difference will matter. “Now we need to be sure that we are good enough to go to the second round. So we start immediately the preparation to play against the U.S., which is a brilliant team as well, as we saw them against Wales," Queiroz said. “Our preparation starts with a good rest, refresh the minds and put all the complementary and garbage things outside of our minds and focus on our goal, because what we want to do it to give this gift to Iranian fans.”

Mitchell Duke celebrated scoring Australia's winning goal by forming a “J” with his fingers in a tribute to his son Jaxson, who was in the stands. Coach Graham Arnold dragged injured winger Martin Boyle — on crutches — into the celebratory huddle as fans sang merrily along to Men at Work’s “Down Under,” blaring over the stadium speakers after the final whistle. Later, Arnold was wiping away tears. It was an emotion-filled day for Australia, which beat Tunisia 1-0 Saturday for only its third win in 18 World Cup matches. Duke gave Australia the lead midway through the first half with a header. “I actually was messaging some of my family, saying that I was going to score today, and I told my son that I was going to be able to share this moment with him and get that celebration,” Duke said. “I haven’t seen it yet, but apparently he did it back to me from the stadium, which was a really special moment that I’m going to treasure for the rest of my life.” Australia hadn't won at the World Cup since beating Serbia in 2010 and it means the Socceroos still have a chance to qualify for the round of 16, despite losing to defending champion France 4-1 in their opening match. Boyle was injured a few weeks before the tournament and Arnold explained why he moved him into the team’s staff as “vibe manager” in Qatar. “To keep all the guys up, because he’s one of the most fantastic blokes you’ll ever meet,” Arnold said. “There was no way he wanted to go home, and no way I wanted to send him home. He deserves it more than anybody for what he did in the qualifying campaign.” France leads Group D with a full six points after beating Denmark 2-1 in Saturday's other group game. Australia is next with three points, while Denmark and Tunisia trail with one point each. In the final round of group games on Wednesday, Tunisia will play France and Australia will meet Denmark. Read more: Qatar World Cup: Croatia vs Morocco match ends in goalless draw After a scrappy start from both sides, Australia went ahead with a play that started at the back. Duke collected the goalkeeper’s pass near the middle of the field and made a quick touch to set Craig Goodwin down the left flank. Duke then sprinted forward to nod Goodwin’s deflected cross into the far corner with his back to the goal. The score quieted the large contingent of red-clad Tunisia fans among the crowd of 41,823 inside Al Janoub Stadium, and sent the small pockets of Australian supporters dressed in yellow into delirium. Tunisia impressed when it held European Championship semifinalist Denmark to a 0-0 draw in its opener, but only occasionally threatened against Australia until the Aussies sat back and defended toward the end. Australia had also gotten off to an early 1-0 lead over France in its opener, but then was outplayed in a loss which it blamed on a series of defensive errors. There were fewer errors this time, and some timely interventions, too — none bigger than a last-gasp sliding clearance from center back Harry Souttar to block Mohamed Dräger’s dangerous shot shortly before halftime. Tunisia is still seeking to advance from the group stage for the first time in its sixth World Cup appearance, but now needs to beat France. “This edition of the World Cup has had surprises for everyone. The larger squads have been defeated,” Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri said. “We still have one more match to go and we’ll play our hearts out.” NO CELEBRATING Still not sure of advancing, Arnold warned his players in his post-match speech about getting too excited. Read more: World Cup logs more than half the record of scoreless draws “I just said, ’No doubt the nation is extremely proud, but we’ve done nothing. You’ve achieved something we can talk about when we get home. I don’t want any celebration. Just enjoy these couple of minutes on the pitch with the fans. Then ice baths, recover and get ready for the next one,'” Arnold said. PRIME TIME Fans watching at home in Australia witnessed the win in a rare World Cup match shown in prime time on a Saturday night Down Under. “There’s one or two teams that bring the nation together and that is the Socceroos and the Matildas," Arnold said, using the nicknames for Australia's men's and women's national teams. "When the Socceroos play at World Cups, AFL fans, rugby league fans, cricket fans; they all become football fans. And I can imagine the celebrations that are going on at home. … I think they’ll be a few hangovers in the morning.” POLITICAL STATEMENT During the second half, Tunisia fans held aloft a large Palestinian flag with the words “Free Palestine” printed on it.

Guillermo Ochoa's World Cup magic didn't work against Lionel Messi and Argentina. Mexico's goalkeeper, known for big saves in soccer's biggest tournament, had stopped Robert Lewandowski's penalty attempt in El Tri's World Cup opener. But he was helpless against Messi's second-half blast from distance in the 64th minute on Saturday night. Enzo Hernandez added a second goal in the waning minutes to give Argentina a 2-0 victory. “The difference was because they had Messi,” forward Henry Martin said. Doha's golden Lusail Stadium, which will host the World Cup final next month, was filled with 88,966 people, giving it a feel of a final rather than a group-stage match. After a 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in its opener, Argentina's hopes of advancing in Group C were diminished. Hoping to stave off elimination, the onus was on Messi to score after a rather timid first half. So he did. From outside the box, Messi's low, left-footed shot sailed out of Ochoa's reach and into the net. At the final whistle, Ochoa and Messi grasped hands, and the goalkeeper known by his nickname Memo affectionately patted a gloved hand on his opponent’s head. Ochoa did not speak to reporters after the game. It might be the final World Cup for both men, who in Qatar each joined an exclusive club of players who have been to five editions of of the tournament. Like Argentina depends on Messi, El Tri have looked to Ochoa because their offense is sputtering and they have yet to score in Qatar. They'll not only have to win on Wednesday in the final group match against Saudi Arabia, but they'll also need some help. Read more: Messi, Argentina under pressure for Mexico game at World Cup Ochoa's save of Lewandowski's penalty attempt preserved a scoreless draw for Mexico against Poland, adding to a World Cup mystique that started when he fended off six Brazilian shots — including a dangerous header from Neymar — in a group-stage draw against the hosts in 2014. Then in Russia four years ago, Ochoa had nine saves in Mexico’s 1-0 victory over defending champion Germany in the group opener. Ochoa was first tested by Messi in the 33rd minute, when he punched away a free kick from the corner. Messi had another free kick from some 25 yards out in the 50th that sailed over the wall and well above the goal. Though the chances are slim, Mexico is still vying for an eighth straight trip to the World Cup’s knockout round. El Tri were looking to advance past the round of 16 and play in an elusive “quinto partido” — a fifth game. It’s something that has eluded the team since hosting the 1986 tournament. “We did our job and unfortunately we left with defeat,” Martin said. “So it hurts, but tomorrow we have to be thinking about what’s next in the next game, because we have one last chance and we have to take advantage of it.” Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi leads Argentina to 2-0 win over Mexico El Tri has never beaten Argentina in four attempts at the World Cup, and Martino’s worst defeat as Mexico coach was at the hands of his countrymen in September 2019, when Lautaro Martínez scored a hat trick in a 4-0 win.

Argentina football team’s coach Lionel Scaloni has urged fans to remain calm following Lionel Messi’s opening goal in a crucial 2-0 win over Mexico on Saturday that kept their 2022 Qatar World Cup hope alive. If Argentina had lost with a Group C match remaining, they would have had to say goodbye to their World Cup dreams. Despite this triumph against Mexico, capped by a great Enzo Fernández strike, they must still beat Poland on Wednesday to assure a spot in the last 16, reports Buenos Aires Times. When asked about photos of his assistant Pablo Aimar on the verge of tears during the Argentina vs Mexico match, coach Scaloni asked for some perspective. Read more: Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard sorry to disappoint mothe “You have to have some common sense, it’s just a football match,” he said. “I received a message from my brother saying he was crying and it can’t be like that. It’s as if it were more than a football match. “…The players must understand it’s a football match. If not, it will be like this in every match. It’s hard to make people understand that the sun will rise tomorrow, win or lose. What matters is how you do things.” Scaloni stated that he would not be celebrating yet because the Argentina squad is still not out of the water. Even if they draw with Poland, the two-time champion might still get eliminated. Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi leads Argentina to 2-0 win over Mexico “People will think I’m crazy but fine, we won, we’re celebrating, it happens,” Buenos Aires Times quoted him as saying. “…The joy doesn’t last long, you have to maintain balance,” Scaloni said. Coach Lionel Scaloni is obviously not overjoyed following his team's much-needed 2-0 victory over Mexico on Saturday. Instead, he prefers to remain calm, at least until the next match against Poland, which is virtually a do-or-die contest for Argentina in its quest for a Round of 16 berth at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Sorry, mom. Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard felt he disappointed his mother when Poland beat his team at the World Cup on Saturday. The French coach said before the match that it was going to be very special for her because her parents were Polish, “but she will wear her Saudi national shirt. Don’t worry.” It’s the first World Cup that Renard’s mother has attended and she was at Lusail Stadium to see one of the biggest upsets when his team defeated Argentina 2-1 in its opening match. “I think every week she’s watching maybe two, three games,” Renard said. “She loves football, so of course, she was very happy.” Read more: Saudi fans put on brave face after World Cup loss to Poland There was no repeat upset Saturday as Robert Lewandowski scored one goal and set up another in Poland’s 2-0 win. “She won’t be happy with me this evening,” Renard said. “I’m sure she’s really sad. But I will tell her, you always repeat to me, 'Never give up. Always work hard and the chance will come back.’” Qualifying for the second round is still possible for Saudi Arabia after its loss to Poland.“Like I said before, we are still alive,” Renard said. The 54-year-old Renard was already well liked for his success with the Saudi Arabia team since taking over in 2019 and his popularity has grown even more since the win over Argentina. Renard was swarmed by admirers after press conference Friday when local journalists lined up to take selfies with him. The suave Frenchman patently smiled his broad smile, flashing immaculate teeth for the photos and he appeared in no hurry to leave. Renard has had great success at the international level. He surprisingly guided Zambia to its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 2012, then repeated the feat with Ivory Coast three years later. The former Lille and Sochaux coach helped Morocco qualify for the 2018 World Cup. It was the first time in 20 years Morocco had reached the tournament. His team only managed one point from three group stage games, however, losing 1-0 to both Iran and Portugal before drawing 2-2 with Spain. This World Cup is already better. Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Mystery behind Saudi Arabia’s Win Against Argentina Against Poland on Saturday, Saudi Arabia had twice as many shots at goal as Poland did. Poland was boosted by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who had a penalty save and several other vital blocks. “We didn’t lose the game today because we are unlucky. We lost the game to them because we were not efficient,” said Renard, who praised Szczesny. “He did his job, a fantastic job. But nobody discovered him today, huh? He’s a great goalkeeper.” Renard has pride in how his team has played in both of its World Cup games so far. “I don’t think a lot of people (thought) Saudi Arabia was able to play this kind of football,” he said. “This is the reason why I’m proud of them.” Renard referred to the vocal support the Green Falcons received at Education City Stadium, where the enthusiastic Saudi fans turned the game into a home one, and he hopes for more of the same for the final group game against Mexico on Nov. 30 back at Lusail – where his team beat Argentina. “I hope they won’t give up,” Renard said of the fans. “Because when you are fans, you need to support your team when it’s a fantastic day, but you also need to support your team to make the history during the third game.”

Lionel Messi came up with another crucial goal for Argentina in a 2-0 win over Mexico on Saturday that ignited the team’s World Cup chances. Messi took a touch from Angel Di Maria’s pass across the face of the area and drove a low shot from 25 meters (yards) into the bottom corner in the 64th minute. He ran toward Argentina’s fans with his arms outstretched arms before getting mobbed by his jubilant teammates. He looked emotional as he grabbed and shook his jersey, then blew a kiss to the crowd. Substitute Enzo Fernandez added a second goal in the 87th minute. Read more: Argentina Squad analysis for 2022 World Cup in Qatar Argentina bounced back from a shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening match. The team is in second place in Group C ahead of its last match against Poland on Wednesday. The 35-year-old Messi is likely playing in his last World Cup, which is the only major title missing from his collection. Read more: ‘Now's the time to be more united than ever’: Messi after Argentina's shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia It was an eighth World Cup goal for Messi — the same number scored in the tournament by rival Cristiano Ronaldo and also Diego Maradona, the Argentina great with whom he is so often compared. For some, Messi needs to win the World Cup to join the ranks of Pele and Maradona as soccer’s greatest ever players. Thanks to this win, it could still happen. Until his goal, Messi was enduring a frustrating match, finding himself with two defenders on him each time he received the ball. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made five changes from the Saudi Arabia game in a bid to inject some more energy into the team but they initially made little difference. The momentum of the game changed completely after Messi’s goal, his 93rd in internationals and his second of the tournament after a penalty against Saudi Arabia.

France advanced, and Kylian Mbappe got them there. The French became the first defending champions to reach the round of 16 at the World Cup since Brazil in 2006, beating Denmark 2-1 Saturday with Mbappe scoring both goals. “Kylian is an extraordinary player. He has the ability to make the difference at any time no matter what the other team plans to contain him,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “In addition to his great ability he is totally invested in the team and he’s made it an objective of his to win the World Cup.” Mbappe put his team in front in the 61st minute and then scored the winner with his right thigh in the 86th as Les Bleus became the first team at this year's tournament to advance from the group stage. The France forward swapped passes with Theo Hernandez down the left flank and poked the ball past Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel for the first goal. He then jumped acrobatically to guide in the second after a cross from Antoine Griezmann — who adapted well in a midfield role and provided his 26th assist for the national team. Denmark defender Andreas Christensen equalized for his team with a header in the 68th. Mbappe scored four goals when France won the World Cup four years ago, including one in the final. He now has 31 goals for France, moving him one ahead of Just Fontaine — the all-time leading scorer at a single World Cup with 13 goals at the 1958 tournament. Read: World Cup analysts cite more goals from crosses, penalties He joined another France great, playmaker Zinedine Zidane, with 31 goals. Zidane scored twice in the final when France won its first World Cup against Brazil in 1998 and one goal when Les Bleus lost in the 2006 final to Italy on penalty kicks. “There are different types of leaders," Deschamps said. “Mbappe's a leader, he sets the example with what he shows on the field.” France beat Australia 4-1 in its opening game while the Danes drew 0-0 with Tunisia. The Aussies beat Tunisia 1-0 earlier Saturday. “We’re in an ideal position. It makes you feel very calm to be qualified after two games,” Deschamps said. “There’s a strong chance we’ll finish first in the group.” No other defending champion had made it out of the group stage since 2002 champion Brazil managed to advance four years later. Italy, Spain and Germany all were eliminated early four years after winning their titles. The first time the French won the World Cup, they also went out early four years later. With Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema missing from the tournament with a leg injury, Mbappe has taken charge. He has 14 goals in his past 12 games for France, including three so far in Qatar. “Mbappe played a great match,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said. “He’s a fanastic player, that’s it.” Read: Poland beat Saudis 2-0 at World Cup The Danes beat France twice this year in the Nations League but looked tame in attack at Stadium 974 — on the rare occasions they even got near France’s penalty area. “We knew if would be a tough match. We had lost twice to them before," Griezmann said. "We worked hard and we worked well together. So it was a great win for us.” VARANE’S RETURN Central defender Raphael Varane returned to France’s defense for his first game since sustaining a hamstring injury playing for Manchester United on Oct. 11. The 2018 World Cup winner made his 88th international appearance and played 75 minutes before being replaced. THURAM’S LEGACY Forward Marcus Thuram came on in the second half as his father, Lilian Thuram, watched from the stands. The elder Thuram was a standout defender who helped France win its first World Cup in 1998. WHAT’S NEXT? The final Group D games are scheduled for Wednesday, when France will play Tunisia and Australia will face Denmark.

It was a home crowd for Saudi Arabia on Saturday as it played Poland in its second match at the World Cup. Despite clear disappointment over the 2-0 loss, Saudi fans were still basking in the glow of their team’s improbable win against Argentina earlier this week, one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. “We’re going to forget what happened today,” said Ahmad al-Khalaf, a 35-year-old from the country’s eastern al-Ahsa region, when asked about the defeat. “For sure, we’re going to beat (Mexico) in the next match as we beat Argentina before.” Read: ‘Normal thing to do’: Japanese fans tidy up at World Cup The stadium was a sea of green as stands filled with tens of thousands of Saudi fans, lured across the border by the lingering thrill of their country’s rare World Cup triumph. Men in dark green jerseys and women in lime-hued abayas, their faces painted in the colors of the national flag, cheered each moment a Saudi player kicked the ball. When Poland’s players made a move, boos thundered around the pitch. Some fans speculated that the sheer size and intensity of the crowd created pressure that hurt the team’s performance. But others reveled in the sense of togetherness. “The crowd was totally beautiful,” said 25-year-old Malek al-Malki from the port city of Jeddah. “It’s clear we suddenly believe more in our national team.” Few had predicted that the ultraconservative kingdom, the second lowest-ranked team in the World Cup, would have been swept up in the wildest revelry of the tournament so far. But the kingdom’s affection for the national team reflects the new, more nationalistic Saudi Arabia rising under powerful Crown Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The win over Argentina sparked celebrations across the Arab world, from Cairo to Gaza City in a rare display of Arabi unity. Read: On outskirts of Doha, laborers watch World Cup they built That pride and patriotism was undimmed on Saturday, even as crestfallen fans filtered out of the stadium. “That joy lives forever,” said Osama al-Jamal, a 22-year-old student who drove from Riyadh to watch his team play.

The sight of Japanese fans at a World Cup bagging trash after a match — win or lose — always surprises non-Japanese. Japanese players are famous for doing the same in their team dressing room: hanging up towels, cleaning the floor, and even leaving a thank-you note. The behavior is driving social media posts at the World Cup in Qatar, but it’s nothing unusual for Japanese fans or players. They are simply doing what most people in Japan do — at home, at school, at work, or on streets from Tokyo to Osaka, Shizuoka to Sapporo. “For Japanese people, this is just the normal thing to do,” Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said. “When you leave, you have to leave a place cleaner than it was before. That’s the education we have been taught. That’s the basic culture we have. For us, it’s nothing special.” A spokeswoman for the Japanese Football Association said it’s supplying 8,000 trash bags to help fans pick up after matches with “thank you” messages on the outside written in Arabic, Japanese, and English. Barbara Holthus, a sociologist who has spent the last decade in Japan, said cleaning up after oneself is engrained in Japanese culture. Read: On outskirts of Doha, laborers watch World Cup they built “You’re always supposed to take your trash home in Japan, because there are no trash cans on the street,” said Holthus, the deputy director of the German Institute for Japanese Studies. “You clean your classroom. From a very young age you learn you are responsible for the cleanliness of your own space.” Many Japanese elementary schools don’t have janitors, so some of the clean-up work is left to the young students. Office workers often dedicate an hour to spruce up their areas. “It’s partly cultural, but also the education structures have been training you for a long time to do that,” Holthus added. This is Japan’s seventh straight World Cup, and their cleanliness began making news at their first World Cup in 1998 in France. Prior to the 2020 Olympics, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike cautioned that visiting fans would have to learn to clean up after themselves. However, the problem never materialized after fans from abroad were banned from attending the Games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tokyo has few public trash receptacles. This keeps the streets cleaner, saves municipalities the costs of emptying trash cans, and keeps away vermin. Midori Mayama, a Japanese reporter in Qatar for the World Cup, said that fans collecting rubbish was a non-story back home. Read: World Cup analysts cite more goals from crosses, penalties “Nobody in Japan would report on this,” she said, noting the same clean-up happens at Japanese professional baseball games. “All of this is so normal.” It may be normal to Japanese, but Alberto Zaccheroni, an Italian who coached Japan from 2010 to 2014, said it’s not how most teams act when they travel. “Everywhere in the world players take their kit off and leave it on the floor in the changing room. Then the cleaning staff come and collect it,” he said. “Not the Japanese players. They put all the shorts on top of the other, all the pairs of socks and all the jerseys.”

Far from Doha’s luxury hotels and sprawling new World Cup stadiums, scores of South Asian workers poured into a cricket ground in the city’s sandy outskirts to enjoy the tournament they helped create. Unlike the official FIFA fan zone near Doha’s pristine corniche, this one has no $14 beer or foreign tourists. There are few food options beyond deep-fried Indian snacks, scant soccer jerseys in the crowd and even fewer women. Instead, the grassy pitch in Asian Town, a neighborhood of labor camps, is packed with migrant workers from some of the world’s poorest countries. They power Qatar, one of the world’s richest, and helped accomplish its multi-billion-dollar stadium-building effort. Their treatment has been the controversial backstory of the 2022 World Cup, ever since Qatar won the bid to host the soccer championship. They can face low wages, inhospitable housing and long hours, often in the scorching heat. But on Friday night as the Netherlands played Ecuador, the bleachers of the cricket stadium heaved with workers reveling on their one day off of the week. The lucky ones scored a small number of World Cup match tickets that went on sale for just 40 riyals ($10) — a special cheaper ticket category for Qatar residents. But for those who can’t afford to go to gleaming stadiums, the giant screens in Asian Town have become a key glimpse into the tournament that has reshaped the tiny emirate. “Who can afford to go? I keep 400 riyals ($109) a month in my pocket,” said Anmol Singh, an electrician, who sends the rest of his $600 salary to his parents and grandparents in Bihar, eastern India. “I work to give it all to them.” Read: Japan eye World Cup knockout stage with win against Costa Rica Even if meager by Western standards, the salaries of migrant workers in Qatar and across the oil-rich sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf often exceed what they could make back home and serve as lifelines for their families in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Workers in the fan zone who spoke to an Associated Press journalist on Friday said they coveted their jobs in the country, which has strict laws on speech. The yearslong boycott of Qatar by four Arab nations also stoked nationalism among the migrant workforce that makes up some 85% of the country’s population. Kaplana Pahadi, a 21-year-old cleaner from Nepal, strolled through the crowded cricket stadium with three co-workers she called “my family.” Decked out in a maroon Qatar jersey, scarf and cap, she said she moved to the energy-rich emirate over four years ago to pay medical fees for her mother, who developed heart problems after her father’s death. “She’s always sick,” she said. “I want to help her.” At half-time, the floodlit stadium became a riot of music and dance. A celebrity Indian emcee whipped up the crowds as Hindi pop blared. Some men hoisted themselves up on the shoulders of their friends. Others jumped up and down with excitement. Most wore jeans and T-shirts, or cream shalwar kameez — a knee-length shirt with a pair of loose-fitting trousers common in South Asia. Hundreds took out their phones to film the reverie, smiles spreading as women in LED-lit white dresses traipsed onstage. It was a stark respite from the daily grind. “These are people from companies doing hard work,” said Imtiaz Malik, a 28-year-old IT worker from Pakistan, gesturing to the crowds of men. “But any kind of work is good.” Read: Germany pin hopes on Spain match to avoid early FIFA World Cup exit He said he misses his family back in Lahore, Pakistan, and wishes he could hear their voices more often. Despite the difficulties, he said, Qatar has become his home, too. “This country is becoming better,” he said. The glaring spotlight of the World Cup has compelled Qatar to overhaul its labor system. The country scrapped the kafala system that tied workers’ visas to their jobs and set a minimum wage of 1,000 riyals ($275) a month, among other changes. Still, rights groups argue more needs to be done. Workers can face delayed wages and rack up debt paying exorbitant recruitment fees to land their jobs. Imran Khan, 28, said many young men in his hometown of Kolkata, India, dream of working in Qatar. He left his parents and brothers behind to search for work in hospitality during the World Cup. But he has yet to find a job. The competition is fierce and work harder to come by now that the tournament is underway, he said. In the meantime, he spends his days watching matches on the big screens at the cricket stadium next to the mall. The fan zone allows Khan and legions of other migrant workers to enjoy the World Cup atmosphere just a short walk from their dormitories. It also means they’re not taking the bus into downtown Doha, which is now filled with foreign fans watching games and celebrating. “I can’t explain the excitement,” Khan said. “It’s unreal.”