Qataris mock Germany over World Cup exit following LGBT+ row

Germany’s exit from the World Cup is arguably the biggest surprise of the tournament.

And the news has been greeted with lashings of schadenfreude, and not just among its traditional rivals such as those in England - where Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, who both lost major semi-finals against the German national team - celebrated Germany’s demise.

Also thrilled at Die Mannschaft’s exit - despite beating Costa Rica 4-2 on Thursday night, they went out in a group containing Japan and Spain - was Qatar.

The delight of the World Cup hosts came following a spat earlier in the tournament over the Germans speaking out in favour of LGBT+ rights.

Germany had protested about workers’ rights in the Gulf state prior to the tournament and during their first game posed with their hands over their mouths after Fifa had stopped teams from wearing rainbow armbands.

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and the decision to protest by the four-time world champions prompted fury in Doha.

Subsequently, joy at the German team’s demise was unconfined.

Local flagship football programme, “Al Majlis”, gloated on air about the news of Germany’s exit from the competition.

Pundits held their hands over their mouths, mocking the players’ earlier gesture, and waved goodbye at the camera after Germany’s exit.

Social media in the Gulf was full of Qatari fans also celebrating the fact that Germany had been knocked out and claiming it was a consequence of the team’s political actions.

Some fans celebrated by drawing a map to the airport in Doha to show the Germans how to leave the country.

Despite the clash between the countries, on a diplomatic level things appear to be operating smoothly.

Earlier this week, Berlin agreed a major a 15-year deal to buy 2m tonnes of liquid gas from Qatar.

But Germany’s team should not expect a warm welcom when they return home.

The newspapers there called the early exit a It was an “enormous embarrassment” and a “new low”.