Yemeni fan watches World Cup 2026 on public screen

Adel Mohsen watches the opening match of the World Cup on a giant public screen in Mukalla, Yemen while taking notes for a later football analysis. The 56-year-old has viewed every tournament since 1982. Weeks before the 2026 event began, his backup battery failed and he lacked funds to replace it.

A fuel shortage in Mukalla also limited his motorbike travel, leaving the local stadium as his main viewing option.

Early fandom Mohsen first followed the 1982 tournament in Spain at age 12, shortly after television reached Mukalla. Matches were recorded in Aden and delivered by bus a day later. He recalls players such as Zico, Falcao and Eder, and notes that the tournament featured rough defending by Italy.

Watching through conflict In 1986 he followed the Mexico tournament during internal fighting in Aden. The 1990 event coincided with Yemen’s unification, and the 1994 tournament occurred as civil war resumed. Relative stability allowed easier viewing from 1998 through 2010. The 2014 tournament arrived as political and economic conditions deteriorated again.

Current constraints Mohsen paid for a local television subscription but could not raise the $200 needed for a replacement battery or internet vouchers. He therefore attends the stadium, where generators power the projector. He said the current tournament is the worst he has experienced because frequent power cuts may cause him to miss matches.

“I see sports as relief from hardship,” he said. ” Mohsen predicts France will win the 2026 World Cup.