The opening ceremony of the controversial World Cup 2022 in Qatar today was all about Morgan Freeman and some BTS from start to finish
“From this country we have heard a call for the world to connect, to return, if only for a moment, to what can bring us together,” said the Oscar winner’s distinctive, authoritative voice over a video by Desert and ocean scenes off the event. Today was “really the first real opening ceremony at a World Cup that definitely has an Olympic feel,” Fox Sports’ energetic Rob Stone previously said.
Stone wasn’t wrong, but there were also a lot of mixed messages at play.
“So here we gather as one great tribe, and the earth is the tent we live in,” intoned a lip-synched and solemn Freeman on the field of Al Bayt Stadium during the opening minutes of the flamboyant opening ceremony.
There was no small irony in the fact that Freeman played such a big part in the United States’ bid for the 2022 World Cup back in 2010 Shawshank Redemption star was the voice and face of America’s last and ultimately failed pitch before the FIFA Breams for the Zurich tournament in 2010 – but that’s all in the distant past now, obviously.
Aside from Freedman, however, the real star of the nearly hour-long ceremony had to be BTS’ Jung Kook, who laid down his new tune “Dreamers” for the 60,000-seat stadium. Surrounded by dancers, the international superstar and South Korean fan set the standard for the opening ceremony of the upcoming World Cup. At the same time, unlike the much more low-key start to 2018 in Russia, which saw Robbie Williams flip the camera a certain middle finger, today’s fast-paced and often flattering ceremony didn’t go according to plan.
As the 2022 mascot Le’eeb flew around, camels, Bedouins, dancers, drums, graphics on the field and in the stands, flags galore and more transformed the newly minted arena into a whirling spectacle. It was a pageant meant to show the best face of host Qatar in the world after calls for human rights abuses, discrimination against the LGBTQ community and beer bans abounded. “With tolerance and respect we can live together,” said one performer, who addressed the elephant in the tournament without ever actually mentioning it. On Fox Sports, they all added a chorus of “good news,” although hardly any of the critics of Qatar, its politics and its sinister takeover of this year’s World Cup were mentioned.
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Over in the UK, the World Cup network BBC One did not show the opening ceremony but instead broadcast debates and news programmes. Popular BBC viral video journalist Ros Atkin detailed the human and environmental costs of hosting the event in Qatar. Expert panel discussion with Alan Shearer and Alex Scott explored the moral ambiguities and lead presenter and England legend Gary Lineker interviewed BBC journalist and Middle East expert Jeremy Bowen before the focus shifted back to football itself.
BBC One only got into coverage at 3pm UK time, around 30 minutes into the ceremony, as it was hosting a women’s Super League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. The ceremony was streamed on BBC iPlayer, online and on the BBC’s Red Button services.
Another thread from the UK saw comedian and presenter Joe Lycett appear to carry out his threat to ditch £10,000 ($11,800) should David Beckham fail in his controversial and very well-paid role as Qatar World Cup ambassador give up. Lycett posted a video of himself wearing a rainbow-colored poncho top and earmuffs, silently taking wads of cash and tossing them into an industrial shredder before curtseying and exiting the recording.
The move should shed light on Beckham’s relationship with World Cup organizers. Although the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and LA Galaxy star is usually considered a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, he took on a lucrative ambassador role for the tournament – a move that has angered many given Qatar’s tough stance on homosexuality. Whether Lycett actually shredded real cash or used counterfeit notes is of interest, as the shredding of money in a week in which the UK announced it was officially entering a recession could spark its own debate outside of Qatar .
Oddly enough, with Qatar on the verge of their World Cup debut against Ecuador this morning, there wasn’t much football in the opening ceremony, apart from a reference to Freeman’s “beautiful play”, a few throwback videos and mascots at this year’s opener, and The Black Eyed Peas did not show up as rumored. Nonetheless, there was a Grammy-spanning line-up of Lebanese singer Myriam Fares singing the official FIFA Fan Festival anthem Tukoh Taka alongside Nicki Minaj and Maluma, as well as Bollywood’s Nora Fatehi live on the field.
Everyone is heading towards the finals on December 18th at 10am ET/7am PT at Lusail Stadium. The 32-team tournament includes current champions Les Blues of France as well as current world-top team Brazil, who have five World Cup victories in their history. With the heat sweltering outside, Team USA will make their Group B debut for this World Cup against Wales on November 21 at 2pm ET/11am PT on Fox.
So when the World Cup is over and over, the ball is in your net for 2026, USA, Canada and Mexico.