ASTANA – When the Wales football team stepped into the Astana Arena stadium on Sept. 4 to face Kazakhstan in the 2026 World Cup qualifying match, they were backed by thousands of fans, who flew to Kazakhstan to cheer them on. But unlike the rest of the Welsh legion of fans, John McAllister, travel YouTuber, took 17 trains, 11 buses, one plane and covered over 5,000 kilometers to have the back of his home team.
Thousands of football fans from Wales visited Kazakhstan to see the match. Photo is the courtesy of McAllister.
After spending two weeks prior to the match in Kazakhstan, McAllister says the country exceeded his expectations.
“I think I was expecting to have a little culture shock coming to Kazakhstan from Wales, but it happened the opposite to how I thought. I think people in the Western world think Kazakhstan is maybe a little behind the times, but actually, it’s really modern. Everything is digital and fast, and the people are fantastic. It’s a really fantastic place,” said McAllister in an interview with The Astana Times.
John McAllister cheering for Welsh football team at Astana Arena stadium. Photo is the courtesy of McAllister.
McAllister really took his time to get to know Kazakhstan and visited several cities.
“When I first arrived in Kazakhstan, I flew into Atyrau from Georgia. I spent a few days there, which I really liked. It wasn’t as big and busy as Astana, but I really enjoyed it. Then I went to Almaty, which is very busy and popular. I went into the mountains, to Shimbulak (ski resort), which was really nice, because it was a hot day, and it was much cooler there,” said McAllister, describing his journey through the country.
“And then I went to Karagandy. I was there for the Constitution Day party. I went to the music festival that was on there, and had a really good time. I just enjoyed meeting lots of friendly Kazakh people and getting to know this really nice country,” he added.
Visiting the host city was also an amazing experience for McAllister.
“I’ve tried to explore the city as best I can, as well as meeting up with all of my friends for the football. I went to the Baiterek tower and placed my hand in the mold. I also went to the big new mosque on the road towards the airport, which was breathtaking. It was one of my favorite places I visited on this trip so far,” said McAllister.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time in the city. It’s quite different from the rest of Kazakhstan that I’ve visited – it’s very modern, and I think it’s really nice,” he added.
McAllister’s long journey crossing land and sea, fueled by hope for his team’s victory, was worthwhile: Wales defeated Kazakhstan 1–0.
“I’ve traveled a long way, and it was good for us to win. I think Kazakhstan played a really good game. I think you were unfortunate not to at least get a draw out of the game,” he said.
“The stadium was really, really impressive. I liked it a lot! I thought it was modern and would fit in with other stadiums in Europe. It was nice that it was a full home crowd as well, trying to cheer Kazakhstan to a win. Unfortunately, we won in the end,” McAllister laughed.
