The searches came as no surprise given the Gulf state’s position as the first country in the Arab region to host the major tournament.
Qatar-related searches have flooded Google this year as curious populations globally seek to learn about the Gulf state and matches played during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The findings were revealed in Google’s annual “Year in Search” report, which showed the top searched questions and words globally.
Starting off with the United States, a recurring question many Americans had was: “How to pronounce Qatar?”
The search peaked in the US between 20 and 26 November as team USA competed for glory at the major sporting event before being eliminated in a fierce knockout against the Netherlands on 3 December.
Similarly, the pronunciation of the Gulf state’s name was commonly searched in Canada, which was eliminated last month after its defeat against Croatia. Canadians also looked up ways to watch the World Cup far from the Gulf state.
Meanwhile in Argentina, fans likely rooting for the greatest player of all time Lionel Messi searched: “What time is it in Qatar?”
Another question people in Argentina and Colombia asked Google was about the playoffs in Qatar. In France, fans rooting for The Blues, or Le Bleus, wanted to know where Qatar is located in a search that peaked between 20 and 26 November.
For millions of English fans who had their hopes up high of seeing the trophy “come home”, a common Google search was “World Cup” in the United Kingdom, a search that peaked between 27 November and 3 December.
However, all hopes were crushed following England’s defeat against France on Saturday.
The findings presented by Google came as no surprise, given that Qatar has been under the global spotlight for uniting millions from around the world to enjoy the beauty of football. The Gulf state had already made history in 2010 when it won the bid to host the World Cup as the first Arab, Muslim country.
The World Cup has been a key opportunity for Qatar to introduce populations from the West to the rich Arab culture and heritage as well as Islam. The tournament has also paved the way for the world to learn about the religion amid an alarming rise of racism and Islamophobia particularly in the West.
Qatar has also been a witness of key victories, most notably Morocco’s victory on Saturday against Portugal in which it moved to the semi-finals. Rabat’s win was significant as it became the first African, Arab and Muslim team to reach the semi’s in the World Cup’s history.
