‘Worst World Cup opening credits ever’: Fans slammed the BBC for lackluster Qatar 2022 intro, with some even accusing the channel of being ‘very discriminatory’ for excluding footage from the host country
Fans have taken to social media to criticize the BBC’s opening sequence for the 2022 World Cup.
Ahead of hosts Qatar’s opening match against Ecuador, the broadcaster debuted its intro credits, which will be used throughout the tournament.
Set to music remixed with classic commentary from previous tournaments, the sequence features a host of iconic players from the history of the competition, including Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Zinedine Zidane.
Fans took to social media to criticize the BBC’s opening credits for their World Cup coverage
The 46-second sequence features iconic moments from previous tournaments accompanied by remixed commentary
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are among the contemporary stars to star in the 46-second piece, but despite the undeniable star power, fans online have been less than impressed.
@KojoBlack_ wrote: “This has got to be the worst BBC World Cup opening credits ever”
Another user added that the sequence didn’t do justice to Italia 90’s legendary opening: “Sorry awful opening #FIFAWorldCup BBC credits. Not exactly Nessun Dorma’
Proponents voiced their views on the sequence, with some comparing it unfavorably to previous offerings
Another user wrote: “Apart from the iconic words by Barry Davies, this is a horrible opening credit for the BBC’s World Cup. Looks like an intern did it in about 5 minutes.’
Notably, the credits lacked any mention or footage of the host country, leading to allegations of “discriminatory” practices on social media.
One fan wrote of the sequence: “The BBC World Cup opening credits are awful. All it shows are pictures of World Cup star players over the years. Usually there are pictures, eg landscapes, of the host country. Not this time. Very discriminatory by the BBC.’
The channel also chose not to show the opening ceremony of the tournament at Al Bayt Stadium
Fans also questioned the network’s decision not to show the extravagant opening ceremonies of the competition, starring Hollywood star Morgan Freeman.
The first part of the opening ceremony was missed because BBC One chose not to interrupt coverage of the Women’s Super League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
But when the game was over and the BBC switched to their team in Doha, they refused to show the rest of the opening ceremony on terrestrial TV, instead broadcasting a canned report on Qatar’s questionable human rights record and the controversy surrounding the tournament.
