Doha, Europe Brief News – Morgan Freeman, Jungkook and several other stars in a spectacular opening ceremony that delivered a message of unity and inclusivity.
Qatar made history by hosting not only its first FIFA World Cup, but the first-ever World Cup held in the Middle East.
The Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke at the opening ceremony and welcomed fans from all over the world.
How beautiful it is for people to put aside what divides them in order to celebrate their diversity. Let this tournament be full of inspiring days of goodness and hope, and welcome everyone to the world in Doha, Qatar’s Emir said in his speech.
For his part, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has accused the West of double standards in their criticism of the tournament.
More than a decade of work went into preparing the country, with large parts of the capital Doha reimagined to cater to the fans.
The new stadiums that were built cost more than $6.5bn and a driverless metro rail system with a price tag of $36bn serves five of the eight venues.
Some estimates put total infrastructure spending over the past decade at more than $200bn.
French newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné has earlier published a distasteful caricature depicting the Qatari national team as terrorists wearing guns and suicide vests.
Qatari Minister of Labour, Ali Bin Samikh al-Marri, commented on the paper saying that there are ‘exaggerations and racist rhetoric’ towards the Qatari people and their national team.
The minister stressed that his country accepts constructive criticism, but refuses reliance on false sources.
