This is the show before the show. The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony represents the unofficial kickoff of the anticipated tournament, with the kickoff of the opening match shortly after.
Al Bayat Stadium in Al Khor City will be the stage for both the opening ceremony and the first match. The $850 million facility was built for the World Cup and opened in 2021, featuring a retractable roof.
This is the show before the show. The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony represents the unofficial kickoff of the anticipated tournament, with the kickoff of the opening match shortly after.
Al Bayat Stadium in Al Khor City will be the stage for both the opening ceremony and the first match. The $850 million facility was built for the World Cup and opened in 2021, featuring a retractable roof.
The #FIFAWorldCup party is about to get started! 🙌
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 19, 2022
🏟️ 🇶🇦 17:30 local time. It's going to be big. pic.twitter.com/Uj65drRkWV
World Cup Opening Ceremony Live Updates, Highlights from Qatar
3 hours 15 minutes from kickoff: When the festivities begin in less than two hours, Al Bayat Stadium will be a riot of color. The same cannot be said for a trip to the remote town of Al Khor, about 50 kilometers from the capital Doha.
First view of the stadium for the opening game. Surreal. pic.twitter.com/GKnChggov0
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) November 20, 2022
3 hours 40 minutes from kickoff: Our live blog is also off and running for the opening match and Qatar vs Ecuador is an intriguing matchup with many unknowns. The hosts have stuck to a long pre-tournament training camp and, as we saw in their run to win the Asian Cup in 2019, they play football “the right way” under Barcelona-adopted coach Felix Sanchez.
Ecuador has once again made its way through the school of hard knocks of CONMEBOL qualification and, if a solid defense is the secret to good tournament performance, they should go far. Their last six results are as follows: 1-0, 0-0, 1-0, 0-0, 0-0, 0-0. Some goals would be good, I think.
❌❌❌❌❌❌
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) November 20, 2022
Good luck scoring today, Qatar! Ecuador are on a run of 6️⃣ successive clean sheets. #FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/NHpIpcxwlD
4 hours from kickoff: Qatar will start its campaign as the smallest nation in the tournament and the smallest country to host the World Cup.
This has proved a particular logistical challenge for the hosts, with a massive construction effort spanning eight stadiums over the past decade. As the BBC video below shows, Qatar 2022 will provide a unique fan experience for many.
Inside Qatar’s fan village ⚽https://t.co/L3dSBM7CjH pic.twitter.com/hZnMBkjpOQ
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 20, 2022
4hrs 25mins from kickoff: Nicki Minaj, Robbie Williams, and the Black Eyed Peas (just rumors, to clarify. FIFA keeps these things under their hat until the last minute), it’s tempting to suggest rather than favor the organizers. It might be better to leave FIFA president Gianni Infantino with the microphone on the field. The head of world football’s governing body delivered a surprise address at yesterday’s welcome press conference, which was downright weird and often simultaneously deeply offensive and unintentionally hilarious.
4 hours 45 minutes from kickoff: Qatari artist Fahad Al Qubaisi (photo in tweet below) is teaming up with K-pop star Jung Kook in a performance of the song “Dreamers,” which is expected to be one of the highlights of the show.
Don't miss a live performance of Dreamers at the Opening Ceremony on 20 November!#Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/WsWvQEUZKw
— Road to 2022 (@roadto2022en) November 19, 2022
5 hours from kickoff: The opening ceremony is now an established tradition at World Cup tournaments:
🎊 The #FIFAWorldCup Opening Ceremony is ALWAYS special.
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 15, 2022
Sunday is going to kick off the festival of football in style 🥳 pic.twitter.com/rdH1BbIZ1A
Singers, artists at the opening ceremony of the World Cup
The opening ceremony has been headlined by artists from Dua Lipa and Rod Stewart who defied Qatar organizers. Reports also indicated that popular artiste Shakira had refused to participate.
But K-pop star Jung Kook, a member of the band BTS, will perform a new single created especially for the World Cup called “Dreamer.”
The artists who collaborated on FIFA’s official anthem “Tukoh Taka” are expected to perform the song at the event: Maluma, Miriam Fares, and Nicki Minaj, who collaborated on the single, which includes English, Spanish and Arabic lyrics. Maluma’s exit was an eventful lead after his interview went viral.
Maluma walks out of interview after being questioned about his decision to perform at the World Cup despite Qatar’s human rights violations. pic.twitter.com/h9OlX7wutN
— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 18, 2022
Other music artists performing at the FIFA Fan Festival in Qatar may also be in attendance: Diplo, Keys Daniels, Trinidad Cardona, and Calvin Harris.
Although FIFA never officially released the final list of performers, that hasn’t stopped many speculations about other names that could be part of the opening ceremony lineup, with reports that J. Balvin, Black Eyed Peas, Robbie Williams, and suggests. Nora Fatehi is one of the other names that could be a part of the show.
What time is the opening ceremony of the World Cup?
FIFA confirmed the official time of the opening ceremony late in the day. The opening match between Qatar and Ecuador will be broadcast live around the world two hours before kickoff, and the ceremony will take place at 17:30 local time.
| Country | Date | Time |
| USA | Sun, Nov. 20 | 09:30 EST |
| Canada | Sun, Nov. 20 | 09:30 EST |
| UK | Sun, Nov. 20 | 14:30 GMT |
| Australia | Mon, Nov. 21 | 01:30 AEDT |
| India | Sun, Nov. 20 | 20:30 IST |
| Hong Kong | Sun, Nov. 20 | 22:30 HKT |
| Malaysia | Sun, Nov. 20 | 22:30 MYT |
| Singapore | Sun, Nov. 20 | 22:30 SGT |
| New Zealand | Mon, Nov. 21 | 03:30 NZDT |
The #FIFAWorldCup party is about to get started! 🙌
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 19, 2022
🏟️ 🇶🇦 17:30 local time. It's going to be big. pic.twitter.com/Uj65drRkWV
World Cup Opening Ceremony Live Stream, TV Channel
Several official World Cup broadcasters around the world will broadcast and stream the opening ceremony, as fans prepare for the first match of the tournament.
| Country | TV Channel | Streaming |
| USA | FS1, Telemundo | fuboTV, Fox Sports site/app, Telemundo Dep. site/app, Peacock |
| Canada | TSN 1/4, RDS (French) | TSN site/app, RDS app |
| UK | BBC | BBC iPlayer |
| Australia | SBS | SBS On Demand |
| India | — | Voot |
| Hong Kong | — | — |
| Malaysia | Astro Arena 2 | Astro Go |
| Singapore | StarHub (Ch. 251/252), Singtel TV | Singtel TV GO, CAST, StarHub TV+, MeWatch |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport 7 beIN | Sky Go, Sky Sport NOW |
Watch the opening ceremony on fuboTV in the United States:
FuboTV will carry the opening ceremony in the United States via FS1 (English) and Telemundo (Spanish).