At least 1,000 Qatari supporters have stormed Vancouver ahead of the Asian country’s second FIFA 2026 World Cup Group B match against co-host Canada on Thursday.

Reports noted that their arrival in Canada was courtesy of an all-expenses-paid trip to the North American country funded by the Qatari government as part of efforts to increase the country’s visibility in the stands during the match. 

The fans were flown on planes chartered by Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and are reportedly being housed in high-end hotels including the Fairmont and the JW Marriott Parq. 

According to the Associated Press, the contingent of supporters have also captured the attention of the locals in the area with their traditional darbuka drums.

The trips were made possible through a partnership between Qatar’s Social and Sport Contribution Fund and the Qatar Football Association, which covered flights, accommodation, local transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses under the “Qatari Fans Delegation Program.”

Qatari students in the United States of America and Canada have also been invited to attend the country’s matches at the World Cup. The federation said the aim was to create “a vibrant stadium atmosphere that will help push the players toward the best possible results on the global stage.” 

“First of all I would like to thank everyone who went the extra mile and made the journey out here. We are very aware of the responsibility. We are going to do whatever it takes for them to leave the stadium happy and for them to be proud of us,” said Qatar national team captain Abdulaziz Hatem

Despite the move to increase the numbers in the stands, the Qataris can expect to see a sea of red colour inside the  Vancouver Stadium with tens of thousands of Canadians wearing their national colours. 

Qatar held Switzerland to a 1-1 draw in their opening World Cup match on Saturday and a win against Canada will almost certainly earn the Maroon One a spot in the round of 32.