The glittering opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup

The glittering opening ceremony of the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2022 took place on Sunday at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, Qatar.

After a grueling 12-year buildup marred by off-field controversies, the month-long football spectacle finally gets underway today with the first match between Qatar, the host nation, and Ecuador.

At the stadium modeled after a Bedouin tent, the first World Cup held in the Arab world kicked off, attracting celebrities, VIPs, and foreign government officials.

The venue is one of several brand-new stadiums built for the World Cup, which is expected to cost $200 billion and is the most expensive World Cup ever.

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South Korean K-pop star Jung Screwball featured the initial function, which reflected topics of "humankind, regard, and incorporation".

The World Cup's organizers hope that the beginning of football will end the controversies that have hampered preparations ever since Qatar was chosen as the tournament's host in a shocking FIFA vote in 2010.

The human rights record of Qatar and its treatment of migrant workers have dominated the pre-tournament news.

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Criticism On Saturday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino attacked the criticism directed at the event, arguing that a lot of it was unfair.

"I'm feeling very strongly today. I feel Qatari today. I feel Arab today. I feel African today. I feel gay today. I feel disabled today. Infantino stated, "Today, I feel like a migrant worker."

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"I feel this, this, in light of everything that I've been seeing and what I've been saying, since I don't peruse, if not I would be discouraged, I think."

Even after the action begins, it appears certain that disputes will continue into the tournament.

As a result of officials' decision to prohibit beer consumption inside stadiums, which prompted additional criticism, the World Cup will largely be alcohol-free.