The FIFA World Cup™ has been decorated by some enthralling opening ceremonies. There was Luciano Pavarotti performing his phenomenal version of NessunDorma at the San Siro in 1990; the engrossing, Oprah Winfrey-emceed spectacle at Soldier Field in 1994; the cultural extravaganza in Seoul in 2002; and 150 former world champions participating in a flair-drenched display in which performers wore 20kg costumes in Munich in 2006.

The show put on in Al Khor today was up there with the best of them. The colours, the culture, the performances… all were mind-blowing.
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It was headlined by Jung Kook, a vocalist from South Korean mega-band BTS. The 25-year-old unveiled his new single, Dreamers, and almost everyone inside Al Bayt Stadium loved it.

There were plenty present – 68,000 in total – and they didn’t half make some noise. And despite the fact that Qatar were 2-0 down after 30-odd minutes and didn’t manage to get back into the game, the fans didn’t stop signing.

This was a day they had waited for forever. Sure, the result didn’t go their way, but they knew their country had done itself proud.

Besides, they had their moments. AbdulazizHatem made two superb tackles, Hassan Alhaydos’s sorcery created a chance for Almoez Ali, and Mohammed Muntari looked sharp when he came on.
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“We fought this game in a certain way, but our opponent had their own ideas,” said Qatar coach Feliz Sanchez. “We know we have tough opponents, they have quality, and sometimes they are difficult to beat. We will try to help our players and see if we can progress in all these aspects.”

Sanchez and charges will now prepare to face Senegal in Doha on Friday. They may have lost the first leg of their race for a place in the knockout phase, but football was a winner because of Qatar today.
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