Doha, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- At 7 p.m. on the 20th, when Italian referee Orsato blew the opening whistle of the Bay Stadium, fireworks were displayed in Beida Park, 50 kilometers away, and in front of large and small screens around the world, hundreds of millions of fans were waiting to start a 29-day passionate journey.
This is the opening ceremony fireworks display filmed outside the Bay Stadium on November 20. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pan Yulong
In front of more than 67,000 viewers and hundreds of millions of TV and online viewers, Enna Valencia ruthlessly shattered the "rule of undefeated hosts in the first game" with two goals. For the first time in the Arab region, for the first time in the northern hemisphere winter, for the first time using semi-automatic offside recognition technology... This night, in the annals of the World Cup, wrote a number of firsts.
In this battle, the host came by virtue of the prosperity and returned with defeat. Before the match, traffic poured into the bay, and a large number of Qatari fans drove 50 kilometers from central Doha to the stadium, and the 10-lane highway in both directions was blocked. However, Qatari fans began to leave the stadium during the break, and by the time the final whistle sounded, the stands were half empty. Only in the grandstand area behind one goal, Qatari die-hard fans dressed uniformly, cheering loudly, continued throughout the game, allowing the world to see the most genuine football enthusiasm of the Gulf country.
As Qatar coach Alexis Sanchez said after the game – "Tension beat us", but the game itself kicked off in a stunning way.
Ghanim Al Mufta (right), ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, at the opening ceremony on November 20. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ming
At 5:40 p.m., the setting sun was already hiding under the horizon where the sea of sand meets, and the Bay Stadium was lit up, like a huge tent standing in the night. In the center of the court, the turf transforms into a huge projection screen, and the light and shadow flicker, showing the swaying of the waves. In the stands, the spectators turned on their mobile phone lights, like starlight.
The countdown to the big screen ends, as a bright moon rises, waves alternately switch between waves and sand, and whale sharks, one of Qatar's most iconic marine animals, swim and jump in the waves, and life is born in the land of Arabia.
American actor Morgan Freeman, together with Garnim Mufta, a teenager with congenital caudal degeneration syndrome, issued an invitation to the world - "Please everyone join us." Although we don't understand each other's language, respect and inclusion connect the emotions of all of us. ”
On November 20, the Qatar World Cup mascot appeared at the opening ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lan Hongguang
Music sounds, accompanied by camel bells, civilization thrives here, and the special effects of the combination of sound and light present a strong Arabian style, making the audience hold their breath.
When the giant jerseys of the 32 participating teams entered the stadium, the mascots of the previous World Cups appeared one by one, and the theme songs of the World Cup sounded, and the common memory fragments were connected, and the heartstrings of fans around the world resonated at this moment.
Amid cheers, fireworks burst out over the Bay Stadium, a huge Hercules Cup model drove into the center of the field, and the teams from both sides stepped into the stadium under the light of the bonfire.
After its successful bid to host the World Cup in 2010, Qatar has been waiting 12 years for this moment. They are waiting for not only the debut of their national team in the center of the world football stage, but also the opportunity for the Gulf countries to present a new image to the world.
On November 20, the emblem of the Qatar 2022 World Cup appeared at the opening ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Han Yan
For 12 years, the Qataris never stopped – stadiums rose from the desert, wide highways expanded the radius of the city, photovoltaic farms were built to achieve the first "zero-carbon World Cup"...
In his opening remarks, Qatar's Emir Tamim said: "We worked hard with a lot of people to make the Qatar World Cup one of the most successful events in history. We have done everything we can for this great event for all humanity. Finally, we have arrived on opening day, the day you are looking forward to. For 29 days starting tonight, the eyes of the world are on this great football festival, this exchange of civilizations. ”
"How beautiful it is, at the same moment, people put aside their differences. People of different races, nationalities and beliefs gathered in Qatar, and more people shared this exciting moment through the screen. ”
FIFA President Giannino said: "Football family, welcome to the Bay Stadium. Dear friends, welcome to Qatar, welcome to the World Cup, welcome home, welcome to celebrate for football, because football unites the world. ”
It is night, the end of the world is here, and this moment is all.