Fans feel the chance to cheer for Canada at World Cup is too good to pass up

As the World Cup nears, fans are readying to head to Qatar to cheer on a team that hasn’t graced the grand international pitch since 1986. Although it’s an exciting time to see Canada in a World Cup, but fans have some trepidations.

“I’m very conflicted in regard to the human rights issues and of all those issues that are going on in Qatar. I’m very aware of that and it’s something that was heavy on me,” said Elizabeth Gruening Hay a fan for more than 10 years. “But we got this opportunity, we threw our hat in to get the tickets in the lottery and we got them. My husband and I talked about it for a long time.”

The Qatar World Cup has been riddled with controversy, with the country facing intense criticism from human rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers. A 2021 report by Amnesty International claimed the salaries of thousands of workers were withheld, although the government of Qatar denies the allegations.

Homosexuality is also illegal in Qatar; an ambassador for the World Cup described homosexuality as “a damage in the mind” in a recent interview. Some players have raised concerns for travelling fans, especially LGBTQ individuals and women.

“But we’re still going and we’re still going to represent Canada,” Gruening Hay said, “because as much as there’s that going on in Qatar, I feel that Canada deserves to have the love from its fans.”

Attending the first match could mean witnessing history.

“I’m only going to see Canada versus Belgium for their games. But fingers crossed that we’ll not only see Canada play in their first World Cup games since ’86, but I’m really hoping we see their first-ever goal,” said Natasha Burtenshaw-deVries, a fan since 2016.

Another apprehension fans have had is contracting COVID in such crowded locations. With cases on the rise again, fans are taking every precaution they can to minimize risk.

“I got my fourth booster a couple of weeks ago so I’m fully on the vaccination train there,” said Robert Notenboom, a member of The Voyageurs, a Canadian soccer supporters’ group. “I’ve done what I can to protect myself. I’ve got two sleeves of 10 and N95 masks.”

Canada’s absence on the international stage means Canadians have gotten used to cheering for the country they or their parents immigrated from. It’s not uncommon to see a Portuguese, Croatian or Italian flag jutting out of a car window in the GTA.

“My father’s from Germany, so we’ve always cheered on Germany,” Gruening Hay said. “But, as an immigrant, we’ve always wanted to also be able to cheer on Canada. So it was really exciting that we get this opportunity now.”

For some, it is not just about supporting the team but the players.

“I think a bit of what tipped the scales towards going rather than not going for me was the players themselves, how much of they’re realizing their dream,” Notenboom said. “There are all these messages from players but the most poignant one was the video that came out with Leo Fraser on the phone with his parents telling them that he made the squad. He was just totally breaking down in tears about making the squad. I think that’s something worth supporting.”

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