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Al Khor (Qatar) (AFP) – The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, announced on Sunday the opening of the Qatar 2022 World Cup in football from Al Bayt Stadium, north of the capital, Doha, where the owners of the land will have their first confrontations with Ecuador in the first group competitions.
After an inaugural ceremony that began with Quranic verses on rapprochement between peoples and witnessed the presence of the famous American actor Morgan Freeman and the recall of the previous World Cup versions, Al-Thani said, “Starting this evening and for 28 days, we will follow, and with us the whole world, God willing, the great football festival, in this space.” Open to human and civilized communication.
“From Qatar, from the Arab countries, we welcome everyone to the 2022 World Cup,” said the Emir of Qatar, who was sitting next to his father.
He added, “We worked with many of us to make it one of the most successful tournaments. We made an effort and invested in the good of all humanity, and finally we reached the opening day, which you were eagerly awaiting.”
And he added, “People of different races, nationalities, creeds, and orientations will gather here in Qatar and on all continents to participate in the same moment,” pointing out that “how beautiful it is for people to set aside what separates them in order to celebrate their diversity and what unites them at the same time.”
After that, a brief speech came to the President of the International Football Association (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, in which he said in Arabic, “My beloved football family,
Welcome home stadium. And congratulations, congratulations.”
Before adding, in English, “Football unites the world. Let the show begin.”
A number of heads of state and government participated in the ceremony, including the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, and the presidents of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the presidents of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and German International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach were also present.
The opening ceremony lasted 30 minutes and included a program consisting of seven performances by international artists, blending Qatari traditions and international culture, while the 32 participating teams, the previous host countries of the World Cup and the tournament volunteers were celebrated.
Qatar won the honor of organizing the World Cup on December 2, 2010, amid a controversy that lasted for years, even days before the start of the World Cup, due to various issues ranging from vote buying, the emirate’s hot climate and its conservative society to its record in the field of freedoms and human rights, especially dealing with Migrant workers from South Asia and the LGBT community.
Shortly following that, the competitions started with the start of the Qatar-Ecuador match, which scored the first goals of the tournament through its captain, Ener Valencia, from a penalty kick in the 16th minute.
© 2022 AFP
