A Night to Remember

As Argentina celebrated its FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ win against France, 1.5 billion people around the world watched the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, draped Lionel Messi in a Qatari bisht (cloak). It’s a moment that has become a part of our collective memory of the event, symbolising the power of sport to unite cultures. Now, that moment has been immortalised in Magic Night at Lusail Stadium – a 27m-long mural in the former Argentinian Fan Zone at Lusail Stadium in Doha by renowned Argentinian street artist Martin Ron and Qatari artist Mubarak Al Malik.

“That image of Messi lifting the trophy is one of the most emotional moments in the history of world sport,” says Ron, who has previously painted two murals in Katara Cultural Village in Doha – one a giant oryx busting through a wall, the other a whale shark. “I wanted to capture the emotion and energy so that the mural would feel alive,” he says of the latest work.

Invited by the Argentine Qatari Chamber of Commerce, Ron collaborated with Al Malik to transform the joy of that night into a permanent expression of cultural connection.

“The project had a very collaborative spirit,” says Ron. “Beyond styles or techniques, it was an experience of mutual respect and dialogue, where each artist contributed in their own way so that the mural could come to life and represent a meeting point between Argentina and Qatar through art.”

Completed in just eight days, Magic Night at Lusail Stadium demanded meticulous coordination. “Each artist has a different style,” says Al Malik. “However, we managed to develop a plan for execution and divide the work in a way that ensured the final result would be beautiful. It was crucial for the work to be perfect. It marks a memorable global moment and I want people to feel inspired and remember that nothing is impossible.”