More In Common Than We Think

Joud Ghalayini, Qatar

Joud Ghalayini is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and works as a Markets & Corporate Analyst, while writing and performing poetry. Her family moved from Jordan to Qatar in 2004. As part of the GOALS program, Joud tells the story of the influence of her brother Ziyad on her love of football and her hopes for the World Cup in Qatar.

Humans always have much more in common than we think; football helps bring us together.

I will always be grateful to my younger brother, Ziyad, for bringing me into the world of football. Even though I did not know what he was talking about, he would ‘hype up’ major football games. He wanted to share his love of football, and it intrigued me.

Every night he would share stories of inspiring role models from football, hardworking people who came from nothing. I found it heartwarming to hear these stories about players becoming what they had dreamed.

Ziyad and I would play football together, either on the pitch or on the beach. We became part of the football community, which was very important to me.

We even went to the FIFA Club World Cup final together! It was 2019 in Khalifa International Stadium, and Liverpool played against Flamengo. This was the first professional football game I have ever attended, and it was one of the most exciting events I have ever been to.

The energy of football fans has always impressed me, and the cultural interaction on the pitch and in the stands is a fantastic thing to witness. I will therefore always be grateful to Ziyad for bringing me into his football world.

The love of football is something the rest of my family and I have carried onwards. Not only did I regularly attend games at the FIFA Arab Cup, but we as a family also watched from home. You could probably hear us cheering from across the street!

Bringing people together in solidarity and support is one of the things I love most about the sport. I have also loved how sport encourages people to stay active and overcome obstacles. I am inspired by Serena Williams. I have watched her struggle throughout her entire life but always come out on top, against all odds.

Ziyad is 18 now and plays amateur football; I support him as best I can. I take him to football practice and always push him to keep at it. Seeing his talent and, most importantly, doing something he loves and was born to do is inspiring.

I have loved seeing him grow and get better at football every day.

We are not from Qatar, but we have lived here for 18 years. We moved from Jordan in 2004 when I was four years old after my dad received a job offer.

I have seen Qatar grow in so many different forms. I hope the World Cup offers the world the opportunity to see its beauty shine. There are a million hidden gems and so many beautiful people you can get to know.

I expect the World Cup to impact our lives and community positively. Communities have always benefited from opening up and inviting people in from all around the world.

I have always viewed football as one of the most inclusive sports. The football community welcomed me through my brother Ziyad.

I have loved seeing football and other sports played in the street recently, just like they should be. This will only get more widespread leading up to and during the World Cup.

The community has become more accepting of local women playing sports. It is moving from something that is family-specific towards the Qatari society becoming more encouraging as a whole.

My hope for 2022 is that Qatar becomes a social hub welcoming different cultures. Inclusion is what football does best. The World Cup will help cement the football culture here.

The world seeing Qatar during the World Cup is bound to change some misperceptions. The media can sometimes paint Qatar as a country stuck in the past, when in reality it is anything but! The changes that Qatar has gone through in the past few years are something to be proud of.