Fireworks at opening of the World Cup in Doha

The first World Cup in the Middle East finally began Sunday night with a flashy opening ceremony, complete with fireworks.

Thousands of attendees were turned away from a Saturday night concert in the official fan zone because of overcrowding, as 1.2 million visitors are expected to begin arriving this week to the tiny nation on the Arabian Peninsula.

Qatar is home to three million people, most of them migrant workers, and has spent more than US$200 billion for improvements across the energy-rich country that's roughly the same size as the state of Connecticut or the island of Jamaica.

Among the additions are seven new purpose-built venues, including the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium that hosted Sunday's opening ceremony and first match between Qatar and Ecuador.