Ghanim Al-Muftah: The Qatari activist who donned FIFA World Cup stage with Morgan Freeman

The 2022 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony always draws attention before the official first match of the grandest football tournament on the planet.

Host nation Qatar prepared a beautiful 30-minute show at the 60 000-seater Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday ahead of their national team's first Group A match against Ecuador, a fixture they lost 2-0.

Plenty of well-known figures took to the stage to cut the red ribbon, as billions of viewers from around the globe stared at their screens in admiration of the colourful opening ceremony.

South Korean K-pop star Jung Kook performed the official 2022 World Cup song and legendary Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman narrated the ceremony centre stage with one individual stealing the limelight for his performance.

Ghanim Al-Muftah is a Qatari poet, activist and YouTuber, who was born with a rare condition known as Caudal Regression Syndrome (CDS).

However, instead of allowing his condition to dictate his life, in which it is revealed that he may not have lived beyond the age of 15, the now 20-year-old has "learned to overcome obstacles with positivity and leadership".

In dialogue with Freeman, 85, Al-Muftah gave a powerful message following the scrutiny that Qatar and FIFA have faced in the Middle Eastern nation hosting the World Cup

He recited a verse from the Islamic holy book, the Quran.

This is 20-year-old Qatari, Ghanim Al-Muftah. He starred alongside Morgan Freeman and recited the Quran in the QatarWorldCup2022 opening ceremony.Ghanim was born with a rare condition known as Caudal Regression Syndrome, affecting the development of the lower half of the body. pic.twitter.com/ES7Vhh4fJs

Morgan FreeMan & Ghanim Al Muftah #FIFAWorldCup #????_??????? #GhanimAlMuftah pic.twitter.com/SV14No0dQF

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