The 2022 World Cup is just hours away and the anticipation is palpable as fans arrive to cheer on their teams. It is the 22nd edition of football's global showpiece and, for the first time, it is scheduled to take place in the northern hemisphere’s winter months.
Alongside the wonder goals, moments of individual artistry and all the drama in between, World Cup opening ceremonies of the past have caught the imagination of the public - and sometimes disapproval. South Africa 2010 was alive with cultural music and dance, with an enormous beetle dribbling a huge Jabulani ball across the pitch. At USA '94, the Americans put on a hell of a show featuring nods to each participating country.
So what will the opening ceremony in Qatar be and when is it? GOAL brings you everything you need to know.
When is the World Cup 2022 opening ceremony?
| Date: | November 20, 2022 |
| Time: | 2:30pm GMT (9:30am ET) |
| Where: | Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor |
The World Cup 2022 opening ceremony will commence on Sunday, November 20. The ceremony is expected to start at 2:30pm GMT (9:30am ET). It will be staged ahead of the opening game between Qatar and Ecuador, which kicks off at 4pm GMT (11am ET).
The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on November 21, but it was brought forward along with the opening match. This was to preserve the tradition of the first game featuring the hosts or the defending champions.
Where is the World Cup opening ceremony taking place?
The ceremony will take place live from the 60,000-seater Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. The stadium was one of the stadiums built for the World Cup, opening in November 2021. The Al Bayt Stadium will host six group games, a round of 16 match and a semi-final in this tournament.
GettyWhat will happen at the World Cup opening ceremony?
According to FIFA, the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony's theme is that the tournament is a "gathering for all mankind, bridging differences through humanity, respect and inclusion."
BTS’s Jungkook will be taking to the stage along with Qatari musician Dana, Fahad Al-Kubaisi and Ganim Al Muftah. On November 12, BTS’ official Twitter account announced that Jungkook would be among the performers at Sunday’s opening ceremony.
He also confirmed his contribution to the tournament’s official soundtrack. The tweet read: “Proud to announce that Jung Kook is part of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Soundtrack & will perform at the World Cup opening ceremony. Stay tuned!”
Hundreds of performers will take part in the ceremony, which will feature tributes to all 32 participating nations, previous World Cup hosts and the volunteers who help make it happen. It will be a seven-act programme combining elements of Qatari culture with traditions across the world.
At Russia 2018, the opening ceremony featured former Brazil legend Ronaldo, the tournament's official mascot Zabikava and a child mascot, who carried out the ceremonial first kick of the competition.
This was followed by speeches from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Fifa President Gianni Infantino. Robbie Williams took centre stage after and performed some of his most well-known hits.
Where can I watch the World Cup 2022 opening ceremony?
The opening match will be broadcast live on BBC in the UK. It will be broadcast on FOX and Telemundo in the U.S. The opening ceremony is expected to be shown before the opening game.