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Jung-kook, a member of BTS, performs at the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup at Al Bayt Stadium, on Nov. 20. (Yonhap)

“Look who we are / We are the dreamers / We make it happen / ’cause we believe it.”

The mood reached a fever pitch with the sound of BTS singer Jung-kook’s voice as he stood on a stage with a blue backdrop resembling a desert nightscape twinkling in the moonlight. The song was “Dreamers,” the official theme of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Joining Jung-kook on stage was the Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi. The lyrics, which speak of the magic that transforms dreams into reality, evoked a wondrous mood as they connected with Qatar’s ambitious vision of sharing the Arab world’s potential with the rest of the planet.

The Qatar World Cup kicked off in lavish style on Sunday at Al Bayt Stadium in the city of Al Khor.

The opening ceremony that day rivaled the Olympics in its scale — the result of a yearlong effort by world-renowned stage designer Marco Balich, who oversaw the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Starting out with the lights of viewers’ cell phones glowing like stars in the darkened venue, it lasted for 30 minutes.

Taking place in a “desert of light,” the ceremony began with a conversation between actor Morgan Freeman and Ghanim Al Muftah, a young Qatari known for candidly sharing his life with caudal regression syndrome.

From there, it segued into a medley bringing the Arab world into harmony with the rest of the globe. Compiling the slogans of fans from the 32 participating countries, the medley included the Korean chant of “Daehanminguk” — literally “Republic of Korea.” This was followed by performances of popular past World Cup anthems such as Shakira’s “Waka Waka” and K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag.”

Jung-kook, a member of BTS, performs at the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup at Al Bayt Stadium, on Nov. 20. (Yonhap)

Jung-kook’s performance came at the end of the anthem medley. Appearing together with a large version of the Qatar World Cup mascot La’eeb, he and dozens of dancers captivated the spectators at Al Bayt Stadium, a venue that seats up to 60,000 people.

Jung-kook has enjoyed success as a solo artist, with a lengthy run this summer on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for “Left and Right,” a collaboration with the US singer/songwriter Charlie Puth.

Once the performances were over, the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, took the microphone to declare the event officially underway.

“People of different races, nationalities, faiths and orientations will gather here in Qatar, and around screens on all continents to share the same exciting moments,” he said.

“How beautiful it is for people to put aside what divides them in order to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together at the same time,” he continued, adding, “I welcome you, and good luck to all.”

With this welcoming message came a firework display that brought the opening ceremony to a close. Kicking off with a Group A match between host country Qatar and Ecuador, the World Cup continues for 29 days with the final at midnight on Dec. 19 at Lusail Iconic Stadium.

By Park Kang-su, staff reporter

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