FIFA World Cup 2022: Opening day fervour reflects in Google’s doodle

KATHMANDU: As fans worldwide eagerly await for the FIFA World Cup 2022 to kick off in Qatar, Google on Sunday added to fervour with its doodle.

The football tournament by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), which will feature teams from 32 countries, will start on Sunday and end on Dec 18. This is the second major tournament to be held in Asia after the 2002 World Cup, which was staged in South Korea and Japan.

Two hours prior to the start of the first game between Qatar and Ecuador, there will be an opening ceremony. The youngest member of the K-pop group BTS, Jungkook, will perform during the opening ceremony, according to a statement posted on the popular band’s twitter account. Lil Baby, an American rapper who released the official World Cup 2022 anthem in late September, will also be on stage.

Also scheduled to perform is Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi. She had already made an appearance in the music video for this year’s FIFA anthem – “Light the World” – and is hailed for her dance moves.

Black Eyed Peas, the American group, will also hit the stage for the event. Many musicians have been approached but have declined to perform due to criticism over Qatar’s hosting of the tournament. Dua Lipa is one of those as she posted on Instagram, “I will be cheering England on from afar and I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup. One Love, Dua.”

The French Federation announced in a statement on Saturday that Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a left thigh injury, dealing a serious blow to the defending champions. Argentina will kick off their campaign on November 22 against Saudi Arabia, while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will face Ghana on November 24.

-Hindustan Times