Ahead of Egypt’s Al Ahly 3-0 defeat of Oceanian champions, Auckland City at the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup in Tangier, Morocco, there was the breathtaking and colorful opening ceremony highlighting a diverse Morocco, ancestral, modern, open, hospitable and passionate about soccer.
The capacity crowd was amazed by a series of choreographies, songs and music and images linking the past and the present and highlighting the beauty of nature, architecture and Moroccan hospitality.
Among the highlights of the evening was a rhythmic folkloric show with a modern touch that took the audience on a fascinating journey through different regions of Morocco.
The passion for soccer was strongly emphasized, with a return in images on the scenes of jubilation of the Moroccan public in reaction to the performance of the Atlas Lions during the last World Cup in Qatar.
The highlight of this moment of nostalgia was the appearance on stage of the national coach Walid Regragui, the surprise guest of the evening, warmly welcomed by the public.
The occasion could not pass without paying a posthumous tribute to the legend Pele, who died in late 2022.
The Moroccans are organising the FIFA Club World Cup for the third time, after the 2013 edition that saw the Raja of Casablanca reach the final (defeated 2-0 against Bayern Munich) and that of 2014, which saw the participation of the Moghreb of Tetouan, as champion of Morocco.