I Want The World To Know

Yousef Al-Ali, Qatar

Yousef Al-Ali is a 17-year-old Qatari student and football player, and previously played for Al-Wakrah, following in the footsteps of his grandfather. As part of the GOALS program, Yousef tells his story of living with diabetes, the inspiration of his family, and the development of Qatar since winning the right to host the World Cup.

I want the world to know that diabetes is not a disease but a friend. It can become your friend, but if you neglect it, it can hurt you.

My name is Yousef Al-Ali, I am from Qatar. I am 17 years old, and I am diabetic.

Diabetes is a chronic disease; it affects how your body turns food into energy. People of all ages get diabetes.

I got diabetes when I was 5 years old. I was healthy, we ate food with low oil and sugar and I would go on daily walks with my grandmother. However, I started to feel tired and lazy and a mystery feeling that I cannot describe.

One day, I was in school and I was tired and exhausted and I needed to drink lots of water. The teacher called my family and told them I needed to be taken to the hospital.

Eventually, my family took me to the hospital and I was diagnosed with diabetes. We were all shocked as the doctor gave instructions about drinking plenty of water and joining a sports club.

But that did not stop me.

Football is a beautiful game. My family inspired me to achieve all I have in football.

My grandfather played football for the football team Al-Wakrah SC and he encouraged me to join - so I did. I became a defender as my grandfather used to play in that position.

My favorite memory of playing football is a match when our captain was injured and we were losing by one goal in the first half.  

The coach pointed to me and said, "give him the armband." I was happy and scared at the same time because I had to lead the team to victory. At the end of the match, we scored two goals and won the match. I was so proud!

I played many games and I started to recognize the benefits of sport for the brain and body, and for relaxation.

I moved from Al-Wakrah to join Muaither SC. I scored some goals, but then the pandemic came and we stopped playing!

My favorite player is Akram Afif because he is an artist and a skilled player and he is one of the best players to watch for the national team.

This was also at the time when Qatar was selected to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. That was one of the greatest moments of my life.

It was in December 2010, and I was in the Souq Waqif marketplace with hundreds of people! When he said “Qatar”, I cried with pride and happiness. Every morning I would wake up happy with the news.

That was 2010 and Qatar has changed a lot since then. It has been 12 years of achievements, an unexpected paradigm shift, no one imagined that Qatar would achieve so much in such a short time.

We have districts like Katara, Musherib, and The Pearl. And who could have imagined this many universities 12 years ago?

The World Cup will show the world what Qatar can do and people will see our creative ideas and efforts. Now all the world will know about Qatar.

I want the world to know that our customs and traditions are of great importance to the people of Qatar and that Qatar is capable of hosting any tournament.

After 2022, my ambition is to complete my studies until I get my PhD, enter the field I want, and be an active member of society.

Diabetes has never held me back from football or anything else, because I took an interest in sugar and it became my friend.

My message to every diabetic child is that you should care about your health because it is the most important thing in your life. Do not be afraid and be brave. Your family must be patient because after patience there is rest.