Dozens of top officials have flown to Qatar to cheer for teams while talking shop. The event has magnified the tiny Gulf nation’s role as a diplomatic broker.
As its influence grows, the country is poised to become a big energy supplier to Europe, which has turned away from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
Many in the country say the barrage of criticism about its human rights record and the exploitation of migrant workers is laced with discrimination and hypocrisy.