The FIFA World Cup 2022 began in Qatar on Sunday with a grand opening ceremony, which saw performances by international celebrities. The event opened with an Arabian theme with the melodious voice of American actor Morgan Freeman and camels.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrives at the stadium with FIFA President Gianni Infantino amid a packed crowd. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was also present at the tournament’s opening ceremony and opening match.
The opening show also saw a performance of a new tournament song titled ‘Dreamers’ featuring singer Jungkook of K-pop boy band BTS, along with Qatari singer Fahad Al-Qubaisi. Interestingly, Qatar is also the smallest country to host the biggest global football event. Crowd control will be crucial with around 1.2 million visitors expected – more than a third of its population.
The sale of beer was banned two days before the opening ceremony of the World Cup. However, spectators at the FIFA Fan Festival in central Doha were seen sipping beer. But conditions were different outside the city’s fringes as hundreds of workers gathered in a playground in an industrial area without alcohol.
Thousands of attendees were turned away from Saturday night’s concert in the official fan zone due to overcrowding. According to reports, this small country on the Arabian Peninsula is expected to receive around 1.2 million visitors this week.
Qatar – which is home to 3 million people, mostly migrant workers – has spent more than $200 billion on improvements across the country for the tournament. In addition there are seven new purpose-built venues, including the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium, which hosted Sunday’s opening ceremony and first match.
(with inputs from agencies)
