I didn’t watch a single minute of the Qatar or Russian WCs, not even highlights, but I was far more upset at not watching the Qatar WC. From what I read online, most people were loving the matches on the field for how exciting they were (which has nothing to do with Qatar). I read reports that the fan experience was OK, safe and calm but not a party vibe.
Yes, it sucked for club soccer that the players came back tired and injured; but the games were exciting since the players were in mid-season form. Yes, it sucked that a country like Qatar hosted it. But the person said “remembers the football of that WC,” not the overall experience of the WC.
EDIT: To be clear, I don’t think it was the best or worst. I didn’t watch it, so I can’t really judge. But a ton of people online said it was very good.