World Cup 2022: Stars dazzle spectators in the opening ceremony

The World Cup 2022 is finally and truly underway. Upon the week-long anticipations, the global football spectacle is up and running in the desert country. The opening ceremony of the World Cup took place at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al-Khor, one of the host cities.

Hosts Qatar will be taking on Ecuador in the first match of the tournament as the show concludes, where many global singing stars showcased their talent in front of a packed stadium.

"The seven-act programme will be led by world-class talents that interlace Qatari tradition with worldwide culture and will include tributes to the 32 competing teams, previous FIFA World Cup hosts and event volunteers," FIFA announced before the World Cup.

The Opening Ceremony at a glance:

The World Cup mascot La'eeb started the countdown of the ceremony. La'eeb is an Arabic word meaning super-skilled player.

The Opening Ceremony started with a video presentation, along with a voiceover of Morgan Freeman. Then it followed with traditional dance and the message was welcoming the world to Qatar as one big tribe, sending the message of the world to join in the spectacle with 'tolerance and respect', as Morgan Freeman said, "emotions that connect us all now."

FIFA World Cup Ambassador Ghanim Al Muftah, along with Freeman gave an inspiring dialogue on inclusion and diversity, which has been a huge question mark on hosts Qatar due to their government's anti-LGBTQ+ rules and ill-treatment of migrant workers which took the lives of many.

After that, it was Korean pop band BTS' performer and lead vocalist Jeon Jungkook, one of seven members of the band, who sang a track titled "Dreamers" along with Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi.

That was it for the curtain raiser of the World Cup as we prepare for the first act of play.