AL KHOR, Qatar—Qatar opened the World Cup on Sunday with a lavish half-hour ceremony.
“People of all races, nationalities, beliefs, and orientations will gather here in Qatar and around screens across the continents to share in the exciting moments,” Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani told the crowd in a tent-shaped stadium.
“How lovely it is that people can put aside what divides them to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together at the same time,” the emir said in the ceremony, during which he kissed the hand of his father who abdicated in 2013.
Tamim arrived at Al Bayt Stadium flanked by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, to a roaring crowd, and sat alongside other Arab leaders. A show unfolded on the pitch, featuring camels, American actor Morgan Freeman, Jungkook of K-pop boy band BTS, and Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi. Fireworks lit the sky….