Arabic’s rich history of poetry lends itself well to ‘beautiful commentary that … sounds like a love letter to football’
Even before Cristiano Ronaldo’s close-range shot had hit the back of net, the commentator had begun shouting. “Allllllllaaaaaaah!!!!” exclaimed Amer al-Khudhiri, an Omani football announcer for BeIN Sports, as the Portugal star scored his first goal of the 2026 World Cup against Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
He took a deep breath and then began his soliloquy. “I knew you were coming for revenge. I knew you would answer everyone, the world, the World Cup, the doubters, those who have lost their memory,” al-Khudhiri said. “Oh history, put Ronaldo here as Portgual’s all-time top scorer, through all its history. Allah, Allah, Allah!”
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Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/27/arab-world-cup-commentators-fuel-fan-passions-language-poetry
Author : William Christou in Beirut
Publish date : 2026-06-27 04:00:00
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