RIYADH: The Coca-Cola Fan Zone at JAX District in Diriyah could simply be described as a place for fans to watch matches alongside a range of entertainment activities. But that would not do it justice.
The Coca-Cola Fan Zone offered a glimpse of how Riyadh, a future FIFA World Cup host city, is bringing people from different cultures together through football.
While Saudi national team shirts were present in both green and white, another shade of green also emerged throughout the evening: that of Mexico. Fans from both Saudi Arabia and Latin America flocked to the Fan Zone to celebrate El Tri’s opening 2-0 victory over South Africa.
“This place is incredible,” said a Mexican fan in attendance. Speaking in Spanish, he repeatedly described the night using a Mexican expression that roughly translates as “super awesome.”
Bringing along friends from Spain, Colombia and Argentina, it became not just a memorable night because of the result, but because of the atmosphere they experienced.
