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Gallery|Qatar World Cup 2022

Qatar holds spectacular World Cup closing ceremony ahead of final

Light, art, poetry, music and fireworks – Qatar puts on a classic World Cup closing ceremony.

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Closing Ceremony,
The closing ceremony of the World Cup 2022 takes place ahead of the final at Lusail Iconic Stadium [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
By Sorin Furcoi and Showkat Shafi
Published On 18 Dec 2022

They came to Lusail’s Iconic Stadium for the match, the conclusion to a historic World Cup – the first in the Middle East. A month of drama, theatre, passion, skill and luck coming to its climax on Qatar’s National Day.

But before the final kicked off, there was the small matter of the closing ceremony – a spectacular performance in front of nearly 90,000 fans in the stadium and a currently unknown number of millions around the world.

FIFA promised “a night to remember”, and it was certainly a night few here will forget.

stadium
After 63 matches and a month of thrilling action on the pitch, Argentina and France are set to fight for the ultimate prize of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
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Closing Ceremony
Following an opening ceremony that celebrated the bridging of differences, the final ceremony lasted 15 minutes and referenced the world coming together for the 29 days of the tournament, through poetry and music. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
Closing Ceremony,
'A Night to Remember' featured a mashup of songs from the official soundtrack, marking memorable moments of the tournament. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
Closing Ceremony,
A spectacular light show preceded every game of the tournament, and the final was no different. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Closing Ceremony
What would a World Cup closing ceremony be without fireworks? [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Closing Ceremony,
The closing ceremony featured a collaboration between Puerto Rican reggaeton singer Ozuna [pictured] and French rapper Gims. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
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Closing Ceremony,
There were 166 goals scored in the 63 matches of the World Cup in Qatar before the final kicked off at the Lusail Stadium. [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Closing Ceremony
Also performing at the closing ceremony were Moroccan-Canadian singer Nora Fatehi, Emirati pop star Balqees, Iraqi musician Rahma Riad and Moroccan vocalist Manal. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
Closing Ceremony
More than three million fans attended World Cup matches in person in Qatar, with more than 800 footballers from 32 teams. [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]