Hollywood legend Morgan Freeman was the star attraction during the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup on Sunday.
The event took place at the Al Bayt Stadium ahead of the opening game between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. It lasted for fewer than 30 minutes, with only a handful of big names on show. Rod Stewart was among those to reject an offer to perform at the ceremony.
It's fair to say Qatar's big event flew under the radar. It was not shown live on BBC One, with the broadcaster showing live coverage of the Women's Super League fixture between Chelsea and Tottenham instead. The Blues comfortably won 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.
With ITV also not showing the first game it meant the ceremony was not live on British television. The BBC did show live coverage of the ceremony - without commentary - on their website.
The opening ceremony started shortly before 3pm (UK time) on Sunday. There were dancers banging drums and even a camel walking around the pitch! Home fans and those who have travelled from Ecuador to support their team waved their flags in excitement.
Then came the biggest moment of the ceremony, as Freeman delivered a speech. He chatted with Qatari influencer Ghanim al Muftah, who was born with caudal regression syndrome - a rare disorder which impairs the development of the lower spine.
"We sent out the call because everyone is welcome," said the influencer. "This is an invitation to the whole world."
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Freeman replied: "I remember, even after hearing the call, instead of seeing another way, we dismissed it and demanded our own way. And now the world feels even more distant and divided."
After Freeman's performance, more dancing followed and there was even an appearance from previous World Cup mascots. Those in attendance included Footix from France 1998, Ciao from Italy 1990, Zabivaka from Russia 2018 and Naranjito from Spain 1982.
The mascot for the Qatar World Cup is called La'eeb. "We are delighted to unveil La'eeb as the Official Mascot for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world," said Khalid Ali Al Mawlaw - the deputy director general, marketing, communications and tournament experience, supreme committee for delivery and legacy.
"He comes from the mascot-verse - a place that is indescribable. We encourage everyone to imagine what it looks like... We are sure fans everywhere will love this fun and playful character. La'eeb will play a vital role as we engage fans young and old in Qatar’s FIFA World Cup experience."
After the mascots came South Korean pop star Jung Kook, who is a member of popular boyband BTS. He serenaded the crowd with a performance of "Dreamers" - one of the songs from the Qatar World Cup's official soundtrack.
Freeman then made one last appearance before Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani delivered a speech in Arabic to close the ceremony. He ended the speech in English, telling the world: "Welcome and good luck to all."
