[Qatar World Cup] First Ever Winter and Middle East Hosting... Highlight is BTS Jungkook Performance (Comprehensive)

Group A Qatar-Ecuador Official Opening Match Kicks Off the Battle
South Korea Faces Uruguay in the First Match at 10 PM on the 24th

On the 20th (local time), the opening ceremony performance of the 2022 Qatar World Cup is being held grandly at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the first ever held in winter and the first in the Middle East, kicked off with a spectacular opening ceremony.

At 11:45 PM on the 20th (Korean time), the 2022 FIFA World Cup held its opening ceremony at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.

Since the first match follows immediately after the opening ceremony, the World Cup opening ceremonies have traditionally been simple. However, the Qatar World Cup organizers presented a lavish opening ceremony as announced early on. At Al Bayt Stadium, where the ceremony took place, mounted horsemen riding camels guarded the entrance, emphasizing that the World Cup was being held in the desert.

The opening ceremony began with Morgan Freeman greeting football fans worldwide from the desert, followed by a grand performance themed on humanity, respect, and inclusion, featuring traditional Middle Eastern dances and magnificent songs.

Dolls representing the uniforms of the 32 teams qualified for the World Cup danced, and each country's cheer songs were introduced. The representative Korean cheer, "Dae~ Han Minguk," soon echoed throughout Al Bayt Stadium.

Additionally, after the historic World Cup mascots and official theme songs were played, the tournament’s mascot, the giant 'La'eeb,' soared above the stadium, heralding the start of the grand festival.

On the 20th (local time), at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, BTS member Jungkook is singing the tournament OST "Dreamers" during the opening ceremony performance of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Photo by Yonhap News

The highlight of the performance was Jungkook of the globally renowned group BTS. He took the main stage and passionately sang the official World Cup soundtrack, "Dreamers."

Jungkook’s performance drew the loudest cheers and applause during the opening ceremony program. After his stage, the official opening speech was delivered, and a giant World Cup trophy appeared on stage, concluding the opening ceremony.

The official opening match followed immediately after the ceremony, featuring Qatar versus Ecuador. This marked the first World Cup debut for the host nation since Italy in the 1934 tournament.

The competition among the 32 qualified teams officially begins. Divided into eight groups of four teams each, the top two teams from each group after the group stage will advance to the round of 16 to challenge for the championship.

Led by head coach Paulo Bento, the South Korean national football team will play its first Group H match against Uruguay at 10 PM on the 24th at Qatar Education City Stadium.

Following Uruguay, the Bento-led team will face Ghana at 10 PM on the 28th and Portugal at midnight on December 3rd, aiming for their second-ever away round of 16 appearance since the 2010 South Africa tournament.

Coach Bento, who has led the Korean team without changes since September 2018, aims for the round of 16 through the build-up football style he has developed over the years.

As key player and captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) prepares to play with a 'masked fighting spirit' despite an orbital fracture injury, the national team’s determination is exceptional.

The Korean team’s hopes for a second away round of 16 appearance rest on the performances of center-back Kim Min-jae (Napoli), who plays in Serie A, and midfielder Hwang In-beom (Olympiacos), a tactical core of Bento’s squad.