World Cup kicks off with short and sharp opening ceremony

South Korean band BTS perform during the FIFA World Cup opening ceremony at Al Khor, Qatar, yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

The opening ceremony for the FIFA World Cup here on Sunday was a short and sweet affair - around 40 minutes. The Bedouin-tent inspired Al Bayt Stadium was all decked up and noisy as expected as the Arabian night shimmered and swayed to Dreamers-a hit single from the FIFA World Cup Official Soundtrack performed by Korean pop artiste Jung Kook and Qatari singer Fahad A-Kubaisi. Hollywood superstar and Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman was at his narrative best too as the packed house cheered him on.

Chaos ahead of opening

There were chaotic scenes outside the Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday ahead of the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup. A mismanaged traffic system adding more time and inconvenience to the already lengthy 40-km distance from the Main Media Centre to the venue resulted in most mediapersons reaching late for the ceremony. Inside the venue however, thankfully, things were better managed as numerous volunteers efficiently guided the harrowed public to their seats.

Also read: FIFA World Cup 2022! BTS's Jungkook performs 'Dreamers' at opening ceremony

Fixing or fiction?

Even before a ball was kicked at the World Cup here, there were whispers that there was some hanky-panky going around ahead of the Qatar v Ecuador tournament-opening match. Some reports suggested that a bunch of Ecuadorian players were paid a hefty fee to under-perform, while others claimed that the hosts are willing to spend a lot more to ensure their team reaches the next round of the quadrennial showpiece event anyhow. Time will tell if these suggestions are true.