Video of children reciting Quran is not from FIFA World Cup 2022

Hyderabad: A video that shows a group of children reciting verses from the Quran is circulating on social media with the claim that it is from the FIFA World Cup 2022 that is being held in Qatar. It is being claimed that the World Cup was inaugurated with the reciting of the holy Quran.

The claim comes as Qatar is hosting its first FIFA World Cup. This is also the first time the World Cup is being played in the Middle East.

A Facebook user shared the video and wrote, "#Qatar is first Muslim country to host #FIFA FIFA #worldcup. The tournament opens [dress rehearsal] with a recitation from the Quran. Biggest Opening ceremony of #FIFA World 2022 Stadium in History with Recitation of Holy Quran."

Several Facebook users shared the video and made the same claim. (Click here and here to see more posts.)

Fact Check

NewsMeter performed a reverse image search of the video's keyframes and found a longer version of the video tweeted by Doha News on 24 October 2022. The tweet said the children were reciting Quran verses at the inauguration of Al Thumama Stadium.

We also found the viral video in a video report published on 23 October by Aljazeera Media Library on YouTube. According to the description, Al Thumama Stadium was inaugurated in Qatar during the final match of the Amir Cup between Al Sadd and Al Rayyan. It also said that this will be the sixth stadium to host the FIFA World Cup 2022.

The FIFA World Cup 2022 kickstarted with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Al Bayt Stadium on 20 November. The ceremony called for unity and inclusivity. It featured performances by Hollywood star Morgan Freeman, K-pop sensation Jungkook of South Korean superband BTS, and Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi.

It is evident that the viral video of the Quran recitation by children is old and is from the opening of Al Thumama Stadium. Hence, the claim that the viral video shows the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022 is misleading.