FIFA World Cup 2022 is about to begin in Qatar as 32 teams fight it out over the next 28 days to prove who's the best in the world. This edition's World Cup sees a lot of new things. This is the first time a football World Cup is being hosted in the second half of the year. Moreover, this is also the first time the tournament is being played in the Middle East.
The tournament kicks off on November 20 (Sunday) at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha. As usual soccer fans can expect a star-studded opening ceremony, which will start two hours before hosts Qatar take on Ecuador in the opening match. Here's how to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 opening ceremony from anywhere in the world.
Star-Studded Affair
The original plan was to have the opening ceremony before Qatar's first game on November 21. However, that would have created an unusual situation for the first time, wherein two would have been already played before it. The opening match was then shifted to November 20 and now the ceremony will be held ahead of the Qatar vs Ecuador match.
The opening ceremony of past World Cups has always been a star-studded affair and this time too it isn't going to be any different. However, FIFA is tightlipped about the star performers showpiece event's opening ceremony.
Earlier there was speculation about Shakira and Dua Lipa could perform at the opening ceremony but both artists have denied their presence. However, BTS' Jung Kook is heading to the 2022 World Cup.
The K-pop superstar has been tapped to perform during the soccer tournament's opening ceremony. He will also contribute to the World Cup soundtrack, according to a tweet from the seven-piece group.
Other Performers
While BTS's Jung Kook is going to be one of the biggest attractions, other celebrities expected to perform at the opening ceremony are American musical group Black Eyed Peas, Colombian singer J Balvin, Nigerian singer and songwriter Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, Indian actress and dancer Nora Fatehi and American rapper Lil Baby, who also released an official anthem of the World Cup 2022 in late September.
When and Where
The opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha, Qatar on November 20 (Sunday). The star-studded ceremony starts at 17:00 local / 09:00 ET / 14:00 GMT / 01:00 (November 21) AEDT / 7:30 PM IST
How to Live Stream
The opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be broadcast on television and also live streamed across the globe.
United States and Canada
United States: Fans in the United States can watch FIFA World Cup opening ceremony live on FOX network and FS1 (English) and Telemundo (Spanish).
Live streaming of 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be on Vidgo, Fubo, Sling TV, Peacock TV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream.
Canada: The FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be broadcast live on CTV/TSN, TSN2. in Canada.
Europe
UK: The BBC will broadcast the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony live in the United Kingdom. The BBC has signed a new agreement with the FIFA securing the shared exclusive rights for BBC and ITV that will allow fans to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 opening ceremony for free on television.
Rest of Europe: The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) has signed a new deal with FIFA securing all exclusive media rights for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Europe. The deal covers the rights for 37 countries in Europe.
France: Fans can watch 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony live on Yle and beIN Sports. Fans can also watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 opening ceremony live stream on the beIN Sports app.
Germany: The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be broadcast on ARD, ZDF and Deutesch Telecom in Germany.
Spain: Mediapro, RTVE will be airing the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Spain. Live streaming of the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be on RTVE app.
Italy: The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be aired live in Italy on RAI 1. The opening ceremony can also be live-streamed on RAI's website and app.
Netherlands and Belgium: Fans in Belgium can watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony matches on VRT, RTBF, while in Netherlands the it will be aired on NOS.
Portugal: The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be aired live on RTP and the live streaming will be available on the RTP app.
Asia
India: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 opening ceremony will be broadcast on Sports18 and Sports18 HD for those watching on TV. FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be streamed on the JioCinema app in India.
Fans can watch the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 opening ceremony on the JioCinema app for free without a subscription.
The entire Indian sub-continent can watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony on Sports 18 and Sports 18 HD, while the live stream will be available on the JioCinema app.
Singapore: The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be aired live on StarHub's TV+ and IPTV platforms (Ch251 and Ch252); Singtel TV, Singtel TV GO (Ch141 and Ch142) and CAST Some of the matches including the opening ceremony will be aired free on Mediacorp's Channel 5. The opening ceremony will be live-streamed on the meWATCH streaming service.
MENA Region: The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be aired live on Al Jazeera across 23 regions and countries.
Thailand: The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be aired on Klikdaily, while it will be live-streamed on Emtek.
South Korea: 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be broadcast on SBS and KBS. Live streaming of the event will be available on the MBC app.
South America
Brazil: 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be aired live on Globo TV, which has the exclusive rights for all the 64 matches to be played.
Argentina: Fans in Argentina can watch the opening ceremony on TyC Sports.
Mexico: Telivisa will broadcast the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico
Oceania
Australia: The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony will be aired live on SBS and SBS VICELAND in Australia. The gala will also be streamed online via SBS On Demand.
