It is the Middle East’s first World Cup. The first World Cup begins in November. The first modern edition centred on a single city. 1st in an Arab nation. The tournament in Qatar will get under way on Sunday, and you can now add ‘first World Cup with an Olympics-style opening ceremony’ to the list of firsts (November 20). Prior to Qatar’s opening match against Ecuador on November 20, a 30-minute spectacle will air. Olympic opening and closing ceremonies are experience for the creative director, Marco Balich. ‘The supreme committee wanted to create a real show, which FIFA is not accustomed to,’ Balich tells AP.
The lavish ceremony served as one of the justifications for the World Cup start being moved up a day in a late switch in August, giving the event a more prominent viewing position. FIFA and the supreme committee, in particular, ‘realised how much effort was going into organising the ritual and generating for the first time something that’s not simply someone singing before the opening game,’ Balich added.
One of the few details that many spectators recall from prior World Cup opening ceremonies is Diana Ross missing a penalty kick in 1994 while performing a song and dance act in Chicago. Balich is promising a lot more substance in Qatar, saying issues like the treatment of migrant workers, human rights, and the conservative nation’s treatment of gays and lesbians will be covered during the ceremony.
Italian-born Balich got his Olympic start at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 when Turin received its flag. Balich was given strict instructions for this event by Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in contrast to the elaborate ceremonies he designed for the 2006, 2014, 2016, and 2020 Olympics in Turin, Sochi, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo, respectively. Sheikh Hamad has attended many of Balich’s ceremonies while serving on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for 20 years. The emir’s desire for an Olympic-style production is therefore not surprising.
The ceremony and the competition as a whole serve as a showcase for Doha’s bid to host the Summer Olympics. Doha has three times indicated interest in applying to host the Olympics, but has yet to be accepted as a contender. When the IOC granted Brisbane exclusive bidding rights and later decided to give the 2032 Games to the Australian city, Qatari authorities were taken by surprise. The following Summer Games will be held in 2036. Asian Games 2030 will be held in Doha.
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Balich stated that Qatar ‘wasn’t scared to spend on artistic quality’ despite the ceremony’s budget not coming close to that of an Olympic opener, mostly due to the latter’s longer duration due to the parade of athletes and other formalities. ‘With the top choreographers and lighting designers in the world, our team of 900 individuals is comprised,’ said Balich. ‘I believe it will be a significant turning point in the history of the World Cup, and the next edition in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will inherit the challenge of creating this great spectacle which improves the experience and identity of the whole tournament’.
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