サッカー・ワールドカップカタール大会は、モーガンフリーマンやBTSをフィーチャーし、凝った演出の開会式ではじまりました。
➣The highly-choreographed opening ceremony took place before the kick-off between host nation Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday.
※choreographed=振り付けされた、演出された
➣The glitzy ceremony included passages from the Quran and had Hollywood superstar Morgan Freeman, BTS K-pop star Jungkook, and other performers.
※glitzy=けばけばしい、華やかな、派手な
マスコットキャラクター「ライーブ（La’eeb）」や、過去のマスコット巨大風船も登場しました。
➣La'eeb, the Official Mascot for FIFA World Cup Qatar is an Arabic word meaning super-skilled player. Giant Inflatable mascots of previous World Cups were included as part of the celebrations.
※inflatable名：膨らますことが出来るもの、空気注入式バルーン
カタールは、ペルシャ湾に突き出る秋田県ほどの面積の国です。アラビア半島の国は石油発掘で様変わりしました。
➣Qatar is home to roughly 2.6 million people. The tiny country on the Eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula juts out into the Persian Gulf. The discovery of oil and gas in the mid-20th century changed life in the Arabian Peninsula forever.
※jut out突出する
市民たちの発言権は限られており、男性支配的で女性差別もありますが、国民には様々な特権が与えられています。
➣Qatari law underpins a profoundly patriarchal system and misogynistic.
※underpin支える、根拠を与える
※patriarchal〔社会などが〕男性に支配された家父長の⇔matriarchal
※misogynistic女性憎悪、女性蔑視、女性差別の
➣Like other rich petro-states in the Gulf, Qatar is not a democracy. Citizens have little say in their country's major policy decisions. The government, however, provides citizens with vast perks that have helped to ensure continued loyalty and support.
➣Qatari citizens enjoy tax-free incomes, high-paying government jobs, free health care, free higher education, financial support for newlyweds, housing support, generous subsidies that cover utility bills and plush（贅沢な） retirement benefits.
※perks=perquisite 特権、役得
12年前の招致時から疑惑がささやかれていました。通常6月に行われる大会をずらしたり、出稼ぎ労働者に搾取的な仕事をさせるような国が主催する大会は、sportwashingの例であると批判をされていました。
➣Qatar's decision to launch itself into hosting the 2022 World Cup was a head-scratcher from the start.
※head scratcher＝難問、難題、謎
➣The World Cup is traditionally held in the summer. But Qatar's summertime heat and humidity made that untenable, and the event was instead scheduled for November.
※untenable=擁護できない、持ちこたえられない
➣There were allegations of corruption, vote-swapping, and links to trade deals at the highest levels of government. No wrongdoing has ever been proven, but the bizarre election has left many observers to question the legitimacy of the choice.
➣When it won selection in 2010, Qatar lacked many of the stadiums, hotels and highways needed to stage the tournament. To build them, the country turned to its massive population of migrant workers, who make up 90% or more of its labor force. Working and living conditions for those migrant workers were frequently exploitative and dangerous.
➣To some, the entire event exemplifies the concept of “sportswashing” – using sport as a tool of soft power, to clean up and distract from a murky political or humanitarian reputation.
BBCでは地上波で開会式を放送せずにカタールの人権問題をとりあげたりしました。
➣The BBC relegated coverage of the opening ceremony to its second-tier online-only stream.
※relegate〔低い地位に〕降格させる、格下げする
※second-tier 2番手の、二流の
そんな中、侍ブルーは予選＝group stageをトップ通過で本選へコマを進めました。対クロアチアで延長戦の後PK戦で惜敗しましたが、サポーターは大きな拍手を送りました。
➣Japan reached the knockout stage after beating former world champions Spain and Germany in Group E.
➣The supporters roared when Maeda netted the opener in the first half.
➣But the fans turned jittery again after Croatia got the equalizer to take the game into extra time.
➣There was a sigh of disappointment after Japan lost in the penalty shootout. But it was soon followed by a round of applause.
※jitteryいらいらしてじっとしていられない、不安な
その後の決勝戦の結果から
➣In probably the wildest final in the tournament's 92-year history, Argentina won its third World Cup title by beating France 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw featuring two goals from the 35-year-old Messi and a hat trick by his heir apparent, France forward Kylian Mbappé.
