More than 18,000 people from various communities living in Qatar have so far visited the Qatar Fan Zone, a free-to-attend attraction at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Indoor Arena since its opening on June 14.

The fan zone, organised by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Ministry of Culture and Sports and Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), screens live the matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.

Organisers have said that they were expecting thousands more fans to attend this weekend’s matches, starting with today’s games: Denmark vs Australia (kick-off 3pm), France vs Peru (6pm) and Argentina vs Croatia (9pm).

Tomorrow, it is Brazil vs Costa Rica (3pm), Nigeria vs Iceland (6pm) and Serbia vs Switzerland (9pm), while on Saturday, Tunisia face Belgium (3pm), Mexico take on South Korea (6pm) and Germany go up against Sweden (9pm).

In addition to screening live matches from the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, the fan zone features entertainment, a designated zone for children and families, and more than 40 food and beverage carts, reported Gulf Times.

Visiting fans have praised the family-friendly atmosphere and abundance of activities for people of all ages.

“It’s great to be able to bring my children to a place that brings together Egyptians and other Arabs to cheer for our national team. The atmosphere, the hospitality and the fun activities for children all make this a complete experience for the whole family,” Egyptian fan Ramy Ghanem was quoted as saying by Qatar Tribune.

Jihan, a Tunisian mother of two, added: “I brought my two daughters and even though they aren’t football fans, they’ve been caught up in the excitement and enjoying the fun activities that cater to children. The whole event is fantastic and we’re grateful to the organisers.” 

Qatar Fan Zone has been giving passionate fans the chance to sample a World Cup atmosphere four years before Qatar hosts the biggest show on earth, while celebrating the rich culture of sports in Qatar.

It is one of three fan zones being organised by the SC during the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with others being held at Katara and Hamad International Airport.