Without the pageantry and pomp expected, Qatar kicked off its World Cup with a sober ceremony that lasted about half a minute. A very colorful inauguration and with several nods to previous world cups.
The presentation of the American actor Morgan Freeman was the great surprise of the day in a venue in the city of Al Khor which showed, at least in the television images, several empty seats, as should be the trend in this World Cup.
The American star narrated the opening segment titled The Calling and told viewers that “we all gather here in one big tribe.”
He also stressed that “Football unites people and nations. There is a common thread of hope, joy and respect. Soccer expands the world, unites nations in their love for this precious game. What makes nations stand together, It brings communities together. We all have a football story, and Qatar too.
All while in the official box highlighted the figure of the emir sheikh of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, together with the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino.
One of the most symbolic moments of the ceremony was the trophy presentation that will take the next champion. The statuette came out of a sealed box and was displayed by former France international Marcel Desailly, world champion in the French World Cup in 1998.
Finally, there was not all the musical spectacle planned for the ceremony. BTS singer Jungkook’s performance was the only number seenafter the Colombian Maluma gave up appearing at the Al Bayt stadium.
One of the emotional moments of going to Qatar 2022 was the memory of the birth of football in the small Arab state. The presence of a young emir in past images presented on the huge screens of the venue tried to give a bit of history to a local football that still has a lot to grow.
While figures of the great protagonists of the World Cups in all history, All the mascots from the previous competitions began to appear, the same ones that have given color to the event since England 1966.
Precisely, the first was Willie the lion in the planetary rendezvous. Large corporeal figures, manipulated by dancers who represented Juanito (Mexico ’70), Tip y Tap (Germany ’74), Gauchito (Argentina ’78), Naranjito (Spain ’82), Pique (Mexico ’86), Ciao ( Italy ’90), Striker (United States ’94), Footix (France ’98), plus Ato, Kaz and Nik from Korea and Japan 2002.
Surrounded by a body of dancers, the rest of the figures stood out: the Goleo VI from Germany 2006, the Zakumi leopard from South Africa 2010, the Fuleco armadillo from Brazil 2014, the Zabivaka wolf from Russia 2018. All presented by the animated turban La’eeb, host of this new planetary appointment.
A party full of light that had the world trophy as the main protagonist and theas cshirts of the 32 participating teams. Just before the duel that started the World Cup between the host and the Ecuadorian team.