2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony
| Date | 20 November 2022 |
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| Time | 17:30 AST (UTC+3) |
| Location | Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar |
| FIFA World Cup opening ceremonies |
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| Part of a series on the |
| 2022 FIFA World Cup |
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 Media related to 2022 FIFA World Cup at Wikimedia Commons |
The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony took place on Sunday, 20 November 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, prior to the opening match of the tournament between hosts Qatar and Ecuador.[1] It included appearances by Morgan Freeman and Ghanim Al-Muftah, and a performance by South Korean singer Jungkook of BTS.[2]
Ceremony
[edit]Italian creative director Marco Balich, who previously worked on several Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, collaborated with co-artistic director Ahmed Al Baker during production.[3]
The ceremony included many symbolic indications that express welcome, generosity and hospitality in Arab culture, as well as contemporary musical, cultural and visual performances that were used for the first time in the tournament, under a “Tent” decoration that represents the Earth, in a message to invite the world to meet and unite. The ceremony, which lasted for about 30 minutes, was dominated by Arab states of the Persian Gulf and Arab heritage.
"The opening ceremony aimed to 'showcase the best of Qatari culture,' using the global stage to highlight Qatar's hospitality and unity while challenging stereotypes about the Arab world"[4]
A conversation between Morgan Freeman and Ghanim Al-Muftah, a motivational speaker from Qatar, was a key component of the ceremony. Their interaction, which focused on the idea of "coming together despite differences," was widely praised for its symbolic representation of inclusion and diversity. A verse from Surat Al-Hujurat was read by Al-Muftah. This incident reinforced Qatar's dedication to respect and intercultural harmony.[5]
Panels
[edit]The ceremony included seven panels that merged the Qatari and international cultures, showing the country's culture and values, the importance of respecting the other, and the need to change the misconception about the Arab world.
The first panel, "The Calling", depicted the sound of "El-Hoon", which is associated with receiving guests. During the "To Get to Know" panel, Qatari personality Ghanim Al-Muftah engaged in a conversation with American artist Morgan Freeman, during which Al-Muftah recited verse 13 of Surat Al-Hujurat:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah [God] is the most righteous of you.
calling for acceptance of difference and diversity among human beings, within a framework of peace and love.[6][7]
The "Rhythm of Nations" panel combined Qatari music with the most famous cheers of encouragement for the 32 participating teams. This was followed by the "Football Nostalgia" panel, which collects former official mascots in honour of the previous host countries of the World Cup, followed by the "Dreamers" panel, which included performances by member of the Korean band BTS, Jungkook, who was later joined by Qatari artist Fahad Al Kubaisi.
An archival historical film was shown for the first time during the "Roots of the Dream" panel, showing the former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, playing football with a group of his friends. The ceremony concluded with the panel "Here and Now", which consisted of a speech by the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and ended with the appearance of the official logo of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at a height of 15 meters coupled with a fireworks display.[8]
Surat Al-Hujurat Recitation and Intercultural Message
[edit]A key moment of the ceremony was the recitation of a verse from Surat Al-Hujurat by Ghanim Al-Muftah, a young Qatari motivational speaker, alongside American actor Morgan Freeman. The verse states, ‘O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another’ (Al-Hujurat, 49:13). This recitation symbolized unity, respect for diversity, and the promotion of peace, aligning with Qatar’s cultural values. FIFA described Al-Muftah’s role as central to the ceremony’s theme of ‘promoting peace and mutual respect[9][10]
Dignitaries in attendance
[edit]A number of foreign politicians and dignitaries attended the opening ceremony, including 17 heads of state, government and international organizations.[11][12]
President of FIFA – Gianni Infantino and all members of the FIFA Council
President of the International Olympic Committee – Thomas Bach
Secretary-General of the United Nations – António Guterres
Director-General of WHO – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
President of Algeria – Abdelmadjid Tebboune[13]
Crown Prince of Bahrain – Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
President of Djibouti – Ismail Omar Guelleh
Vice President of Ecuador – Alfredo Borrero
President of Egypt – Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Vice President of the European Commission – Margaritis Schinas[14]
Vice President of India – Jagdeep Dhankhar
Minister of Sports of Iran – Hamid Sajjadi
King of Jordan – Abdullah II and Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan
Former President of Kosovo – Atifete Jahjaga
Crown Prince of Kuwait – Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Prime Minister of Lebanon – Najib Mikati
President of Liberia – George Weah
Prime Minister of Libya – Fathi Bashagha
Crown Prince and Sports Minister of Oman – Theyazin bin Haitham
President of Palestine – Mahmoud Abbas
Emir of Qatar – Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Former Emir of Qatar – Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and members of the Qatari Royal Family
Assistant to the President of Russia – Igor Levitin
President of Rwanda – Paul Kagame
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia – Mohammed bin Salman
President of Senegal – Macky Sall
King and Queen of the Zulu tribe of South Africa – Misuzulu kaZwelithini and Ntokozo Mayisela-Zulu[15]
President of Turkey – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates – Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Former United States Deputy Secretary of State – Keith Krach
Vice President of Venezuela – Delcy Rodriguez
First Minister of Wales – Mark Drakeford
Controversies
[edit]Refusal of broadcast
[edit]In light of the allegations of human rights abuses and corruption scandal surrounding the World Cup, the British public service broadcaster BBC refused to broadcast the opening ceremony on television, although it was made available through its online and digital TV services.[16][17]
References
[edit]- ^ "Qatar v. Ecuador to kick off FIFA World Cup 2022 on 20 November". FIFA. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ^ "BTS' Jungkook to perform at FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Qatar". The Indian Express. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "AP Exclusive: Balich leads Olympics-style World Cup ceremony". Associated Press. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ FIFA (20 November 2022). ""Spectacular Opening Ceremony Signals the Start of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022"".
- ^ FIFA (20 November 2022). ""Spectacular Opening Ceremony Signals the Start of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022"".
- ^ "حفل مبهر ورسائل متعددة.. إشادة عربية واسعة بافتتاح مونديال قطر". 1-a1072.azureedge.net (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ "A promise delivered in spectacular fashion' – Qatar press lauds opening ceremony". The Guardian. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ "مونديال قطر 2022 ينطلق بحفل افتتاح من 7 لوحات موسيقية ثقافية". 1-a1072.azureedge.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ "Qatar kicks off 2022 World Cup with message of inclusion - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ FIFA (20 November 2022). ""Spectacular Opening Ceremony Signals the Start of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022"".
- ^ "World leaders descend on Qatar for World Cup 2022 kickoff". Al Jazeera. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ "Amir holds reception ceremony for world leaders, head of delegations participating in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Opening". The Peninsula Qatar. 20 November 2022.
- ^ "President Tebboune arrives in Doha to attend opening ceremony of World Cup 2022". Algeria Press Service. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ "Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Meets Vice-President of European Commission".
- ^ Nkanjeni, Unathi (18 November 2022). "Royal ball: King Misuzulu is heading to the Fifa World Cup in Qatar". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ "BBC ignores World Cup opening ceremony in favour of Qatar criticism". The Guardian. 20 November 2022.
- ^ "BBC relegates World Cup opening ceremony to online coverage". Al Jazeera. 20 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.