World Cup Qatar 2022 kicks off with grand opening ceremony

Sunday saw the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor in the Gulf state of Qatar. Qatar 2022 official mascot La'eeb, whose name is an Arabic word meaning super-skilled player, along with the flags of all 32 participating nations were flying in the field. African American movie star Morgan Freeman was among the guests. Korean K-pop star Jungkook also performed a mini-concert. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomed fans from all over the world. 'Let this tournament be full of inspiring days of goodness and hope,' he said, 'and welcome everyone to the world in Doha.' Especially the conversation between the world-famous actor Morgan Freeman and the child with congenital Caudal Regression Syndrome, Ganim al Muftah, marked the opening ceremony of the World Cup. The conversation, in which the two gave a message of unity, spurred emotional moments. Morgan Freeman stepped onto the stage and greeted Ganim al Muftah. Then he sat down on the floor, and stretched out his feet. Freeman said, 'What unites us is greater than what separates us. We are one big tribe and the world is our tent. We can invite everyone to be one.' 'Yes, together we can send a strong message to the world to join us,' the boy said to Freeman. This heart-warming conversation between Ganim al Muftah and Morgan Freeman has also attracted great attention on social media. After the ceremony, the opening match between the host Qatar and Ecuador ended with Ecuador winning the game 2-0.

World Cup Qatar 2022 kicks off with grand opening ceremony

Qatar 2022 official mascot La'eeb, whose name is an Arabic word meaning super-skilled player, along with the flags of all 32 participating nations were flying in the field in the opening ceremony.