Ozuna, GIMS Perform ‘Arhbo’ & More at 2022 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony
The 2022 FIFA World Cup Finals between Argentina and France has arrived but one hour before the last match, a wave of artists took over the soccer field for an energetic closing ceremony held Sunday (Dec. 18) at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
Dubbed “A Night to Remember,” the ceremony, which laces poetry and music, initiated with a sweet rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” as metallic dolphins floated around the stadium. A motivational poem in the Arabic language followed as a group of people held large, inflatable balls representing the 32 countries that participated in the World Cup. Argentina and France floated at the end.
The 10-minute performance included a mashup of songs from the official FIFA music soundtrack, kicking off with American-Nigerian artist Davido and Qatari singer Aisha singing “(Hayya Hayya) Better Together.” Rocking an all-yellow leather fit, Puerto Rican star Ozuna, and French-Congolese rapper Gims joined the artists for an uplifting set of “Arhbo,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart dated Dec. 17, marking Gims’ first No. 1 title on any U.S. chart. The closing ceremony wrapped with the full female lineup of “Light the Sky.”
“Writing the history in Qatar,” Ozuna expressed on Instagram about all the activations he’s been doing in the Middle East. “Thank you to my most real fans, I love you.”
Although Puerto Rico was not one of the countries that played at the World Cup, Ozuna has been very much involved with the tournament.
In addition to being a part of the FIFA soundtrack, the “Hey Mor” singer teamed up with Coca-Cola Puerto Rico for limited-edition collectible cans and graced the digital cover of L’Officiel Hommes magazine for its 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar edition.
“Thanks to you, we continue leaving a footprint around the world,” the artist noted.
Jessica Roiz
Billboard
