The success of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which concluded on Sunday, is beyond doubt, despite the great lengths some Western countries went to in their attempts to smear the tournament with lies and unfounded charges on so-called human rights issues.

How the Qatar World Cup has unfolded over the past few weeks demonstrates how the most popular sport on Earth can unite people from around the world.

Many years from now, the impressive performances of such dark horses as Morocco and Japan, the unyielding spirits of Croatia and Argentina, along with the tears and joys of the players and their supporters, will still be remembered.

The tournament has provided the world with a valuable opportunity to experience the hospitality of the host country and the openness of the whole Arab world, and see with their own eyes how distorted the image of the Arab states is in some Western media.

The Arab countries, the Gulf states to be precise, are at a critical stage of development as they are transitioning away from their reliance on oil to a more balanced and sustainable growth model, which entails their further integration into the global industry and supply chains. At the same time, they are striving for a greater say on the world stage and more strategic autonomy in handling regional and global affairs.

However, swallowing the bitter truth that they are quickly losing their traditional control of the awakened Arab world, those Western forces choose to ignore that, and continue to try and maintain the stereotyped image they have long cast for these "oil countries" — a tactic they also apply to the so-called banana republics, even though Latin American countries are also exploring new development models that are less reliant on exports of natural resources.

Behind the success of the Qatar World Cup is not only the popularity of soccer but more importantly the collective rise of the emerging market economies and developing countries that calls for a reform of the global governance system, which should better reflect their rising influence and contributions to the world.

This represents an overall trend of the times that the Western powers have to accept.