- travelsportblog
Welcome to the World Cup Qatar 2022!
Updated: Dec 14, 2022
Pinch me because I must be dreaming! The World Cup kicked off November 20 in the beautiful Al Bayt Stadium with Qatar vs Ecuador and it has been nonstop fun and football action. Before I even get to the opening ceremony and game, the logistics and traveling to Qatar cannot go unnoticed.
From the moment you land in Doha, you feel the World Cup energy. Everything around you, the signs, colors, music, conversations, advertisements, stores (I mean everything!) scream World Cup. You can't help but feel your national pride as you see your nation's flag and colors. The airport already gets you excited for what's to come ahead.
Qatar Metro
When you leave the airport, most likely by the metro system as that is the easiest and most convenient way to get around, you will pass through aisles of World Cup signage and touring information. When you board the metro, you can see on the map the stadiums hosting the World Cup games clearly outlined.
By this point, you are so excited to get out into the city and cheer your nation on!
Help and Information
No matter where you want to get to, there are plenty of World Cup volunteers around in matching Adidas tracksuits that can help you. It was nice meeting volunteers from all over the world, just as ready and excited as you are for the tournament. If not the World Cup volunteers, there are also plenty of staff at the establishments you are in that are knowledgeable and helpful with tournament information. It felt like there was a permanent Google search bar ready for you with every question that you have.
World Cup Energy
The streets are bursting with World Cup vibes and no matter where you look, you will see groups of tourists cheering on their nations. Even if you're supporting a team that is no longer in the tournament, or didn't even qualify, you can sport your national pride as the World Cup truly calls on the world to come together as one.
Opening Ceremony
Qatar welcomed the world to the 2022 World Cup in Al Bayt Stadium, a Bedouin-tent inspired stadium, for the first ever World Cup in a Middle Eastern country. Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani greeted guests which was an honour for all those in the stadium. The 30 minute performance thread through Qatari tradition with tributes to the nations that are competing, as well as past World Cup songs and mascots.
Morgan Freeman was joined by Ghanim Al Muftah and the two narrated the opening ceremony, drawing on the unity, respect, and closeness the World Cup brings. There were several performances, such as the al-Ardha, a traditional sword dance, that illuminited Arab culture. Before introducing this year's official song and mascot, the icons of past World Cups were featured, as well as life-sized replicas of t-shirts of the qualified nations. The moment that probably erupted the stadium the most is when BTS's Jung Kook took the stage to sing the official World Cup song Dreamers. There is no denying that Jung Kook was the perfect fit for an official anthem.
Kickoff Game: Qatar vs Ecuador
The bar was set high for Qatar as the host nation to show their best performance in the opening game, but Ecuador essentially proved to be the stronger team. The Ecuadorian fans jumped and cheered for joy as they led the World Cup in the first win of the tournament. Qatar are the standing Asian champions of the world, but it is interesting to see how the host nation will do throughout the tournament.
What do you want to see featured about Qatar while we're visiting for the World Cup? Tweet at us and let us know!
