On Sunday evening at exactly 1900hrs EAT, the World Cup will kick off in the tiny but filthy-rich nation of Qatar which will be a high stake event for the country that has faced a barrage of criticism and staked its reputation on delivering a smooth tournament, the first held in the Middle East. The opening ceremony in a tent-shaped stadium will be held at 1740 EAT, ahead of the first match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. Few details were available on heads of state attending, but the Qatar state media said the U.N. secretary-general and Algeria's president arrived on Saturday. 

Onstage, the South Korean singer Jungkook, of K-pop boy band BTS will perform a new official tournament song called Dreamers alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi, FIFA confirmed in a statement early Sunday.  Qatar and FIFA hope the spotlight will turn to action on the pitch after the hosts faced a mountain of criticism over its treatment of foreign workers, and social restrictions, including banning alcohol at stadiums and public displays of affection. Organizers have also denied allegations of bribery for hosting rights.  

Qatar, the smallest nation to hold soccer's biggest global event wants to establish itself as a major participant on the world stage. A wealthy gas producer, it aims to show its power to rivals in the region and placate conservative Sunni Muslim Qataris. Numerous migrant laborers who struggled to build the tournament's infrastructure in Qatar will watch from the sidelines since they can't afford to enter the stadiums. Although Qatar has received harsh criticism for how it treats migrant workers, it cites labor changes designed to safeguard them from abuse and claims that the system is still being improved. With more than 1.2 million visitors anticipated, more than a third of Qatar's population, most of whom are foreign workers, crowd management will be essential.

With the World Cup in Qatar set to be the most costly World Cup ever organized at a cost of $220 billion, the nation has experienced a development frenzy powered by its gas wealth that has booted Doha's appearance, which is the capital of Qatar. Fans will also be arriving on daily shuttle flights from neighboring cities like Dubai because there aren't many hotels in Qatar. Citizens of Qatar will be hoping that their nations go as far as they can at the tournament and makes them proud. Lionel Messi's Argentina, Brazil, England, and France have been pitted as favorites to carry the world cup trophy while Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands will also be in contention for the golden cup.