Muscat: It was an evening to remember for the 60,000 fans at the Al Bayt Stadium in Doha and millions of viewers around the world at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 kicked off in a spectacular style on Sunday evening.

The 30-minute opening ceremony of the first World Cup in the post-Covid-19 era witnessed Jungkook of K-pop megastars BTS make the headline musical performance, debuting his new single solo single “Dreamers” alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi.

Freeman was on stage alongside Qatari YouTube star Ghanim al-Muftah, who read from the Quran.

Freeman had been an ambassador for the USA’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup before Qatar won hosting rights, making his appearance even more of a surprise. He shared a message of unity, declaring: “What unites us here in this moment is so much greater than what divides us. How can we make it last longer than just today?”

There was a cauldron-like atmosphere at the Al-Bayt Stadium as thousands of football fans streamed towards the spectacular venue – shaped like a traditional Bedouin tent – for the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East.

Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a loud applause from the fans when he paid homage to the diversity in attendance.

“How beautiful it is for people to put aside what divides them in order to celebrate their diversity,” he said. “Let this tournament be full of inspiring days of goodness and hope, and welcome everyone to the world in Doha.”

Fireworks filled the night sky above the stadium shortly afterwards, as players from Qatar and Ecuador took to the field.

Fans started arriving as early as 2 pm, five hours before the start of the match.

The 2022 World Cup, the first in the Middle East region, will see 32 countries compete in 64 matches, with the grand finale scheduled for December 18 at the iconic Lusail Stadium.