Morgan Freeman makes a powerful dialogue at the FIFA World Cup
Morgan Freeman kicks off Qatar World Cup with an impassioned plea for inclusion at the opening ceremony
Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman and Korean singer Jeon Jungkook of BTS headlined the World Cup opening ceremony at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar on Sunday before the opening game between Ecuador and the host country writes Paula Tsoni for the Greek Reporter.
Freeman’s surprise appearance at the Qatar World Cup opening ceremony divided fans, with some praising him for his powerful speech and some questioning why he would want to be involved in the controversy surrounding the ethics of the sports event.
Marking an iconic moment in the history of the World Cup Opening Ceremony, Freeman walked onto the stage and was invited to “come on over” by Qatari youth Ghanim al Muftah, an entrepreneur and influencer born with Caudal Regression Syndrome. This rare disorder impairs the development of the lower spine.
As the actor answered: “I’m not sure. Am I welcome?” the young man replied, “We sent out the call because everyone is welcome. This is an invitation for the whole world.”
“What unites us here in this moment is much greater than what divides us. How can we make it last longer than just today?” Freeman continued his conversation with al Muftah about unity and respect.
The actor then stretched his left hand -covered in a compression glove due to his fibromyalgia condition- to reach the hand of his collocutor.
First Korean act to perform at World Cup
As the show continued, 25-year-old Korean pop star Jeon Jungkook of BST took to the stage later, becoming the first Korean artist to perform at World Cup.
His song, Dreamers, is FIFA World Cup Qatar’s official theme song.
FIFA expects five billion viewers to watch the World Cup, a jump from 3.5 billion in 2018.
