At the Corniche, the shore-hugging thoroughfare through central Doha, crowds, big screens showing the action on the pitch and loudspeakers have been replaced by orderly traffic and a somnolent atmosphere.

“It’s very difficult to beat the World Cup. That is for sure,” Jassim Al Jassim, head of operations for Qatar’s organising committee, told AFP on Monday, one year to the day since the opening game.

“This time last year it was a very, very tense day,” he said. “But I think overall, we were very happy and we were very proud of what we achieved as a country.”

Qatar was hit by a storm of criticism over the World Cup, starting with the 2010 bidding process which was tainted by accusations of corruption — denied by Qatari officials.

The rights of migrant workers, women’s equality, laws against homo𝑠e𝑥uality and the availability of alcohol also became flashpoints for the wealthy emirate, which countered by accusing its critics of racism.

Some experts believe the confrontations improved Qatar’s image among Arab nations and helped pave the way for neighbouring Saudi Arabia to emerge as host of the 2034 World Cup.

The “Gulf has moved to the centre of global sports”, said Danyel Reiche, a Qatar-based expert on politics and sport.

The successful Saudi bid “might not have been possible if there had not been already a successful World Cup in 2022”, he added.

Tiny Qatar was transformed for the tournament, with a new metro, airport expansion, upgraded roads and new hotels, plus eight world-class stadiums, at a cost of $220 billion.

It was billed as the most expensive World Cup in history but organisers reject that tag, saying much of the infrastructure expedited for the tournament was already budgeted.

“The $220 billion spent in the country for infrastructure is worth it, absolutely worth it, but it was not done solely for the World Cup,” Jassim said.