The FIFA World Cup has kickstarted in Qatar amid a lot of controversy as rows of empty seats were pictured in viral images taking center stage on social media.
Morgan Freeman was seen hosting the start of the event where members of the Qatari royal family could be pictured in attendance followed by so many empty seats among them.
This was just hours before the tournament’s first soccer match began between Qatar and Ecuador, following weeks of intense criticism regarding the nation’s human rights record.
The actor could be seen narrating the event’s opening segment which was titled, ‘The Calling’. Similarly, he could be seen telling fans and viewers how we are all gathered here in Doha’s City Center for the important kick-off for one of the world’s biggest soccer festivals.
The event was taking place at the Al Bayt Stadium where during the ceremony, so many scenes featured the famous ‘Leta’Arafo’ and ‘Chants of Nations’ which showcases the event’s official mascots.point 318 |
This included the famous Jung Kook who is a renowned member of the popular boyband from South Korea called BTS.point 92 | 1
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani soon delivered a speech to the massive crowd gathered there who came to watch the first match.
The match took place under glaring sun temperatures that exceeded the 30-degree centigrade mark.
Other than that, so many other types of performances were seen including some traditional ones that had the country’s deep-rooted customs embedded in them.
Meanwhile, the World Cup Trophy was also brought into the display on the field by Marcel Desailly right ahead of the opening ceremony.
The stadium comprised many supporters, both locals and fans from various nations, creating a nice blended mix of races in the audience.
Additionally, the Vice President for the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum was also present for the opening ceremony.