Emir of Qatar declares 2022 FIFA World Cup open

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has declared the 2022 FIFA World Cup open. According to TASS, the opening ceremony took place today at the El-Bayt stadium. The theme of the opening ceremony was the gathering of all mankind and overcoming differences.

Let us add that a parade of flags of the participating countries, as well as a parade of talismans of past world championships, took place on the stadium field. The mascot of the 2018 World Championship in Russia, the wolf Zabivaka, took part in it.

In the first match of the 2022 tournament, the national teams of Qatar and Ecuador will play. The meeting will start at 19:00 Moscow time.

It is known that the World Cup will be held in five cities at eight stadiums. The final match will take place on December 18 at the National Stadium.

The current World Cup is unique for several reasons and factors. So, this is the first World Cup, which will be held in winter and not in summer. In addition, it became the most expensive World Cup in history. The Qatari authorities indicated that the organization of the tournament cost more than $ 200 billion. Thirdly, this is the most compact world championship. All matches of the tournament will be held in the capital of Qatar, Doha, and its environs.

Note that the Russian team did not go to Qatar. Due to the aggravation of the situation in Ukraine, FIFA and UEFA issued a joint statement. It indicated that Russian teams and clubs were suspended from participation in all international competitions for an indefinite period. Thus, the Russian team was excluded from the participants in the play-offs for reaching the World Cup in Qatar.