World Cup 2022: Ecuador defeats Qatar 2-0 in opening match

Ecuador defeated host nation Qatar 2-0 within the opening match of the 2022 World Cup after an extravagant opening ceremony.

Qatar, which made its World Cup debut Sunday, turned the primary host nation to lose within the opening match.

WORLD CUP 2022: QATAR BANS ALL SALES OF BEER AT STADIUMS IN SHOCK REVERSAL

Earlier than the sport, the opening ceremony featured actor Morgan Freeman and South Korean singer Jung Kook, who can also be a member of the Ok-pop group BTS.

Ecuador appeared to have scored the quickest aim in opening match historical past solely three minutes in, however the rating was wiped away from an offside name utilizing the VAR, video assistant referee, system.

Ecuador would rating its very first aim when Enner Valencia scored on a penalty within the sixteenth minute. Valencia would double the benefit for Ecuador with a aim within the thirty first minute. Neither crew would rating after Valencia's second aim, cementing the 2-0 victory for the South American nation.

Qatar's opening match loss places it in peril of being the second host nation to not make it previous the group stage. The one World Cup host nation to fail to advance to the knockout spherical was South Africa in 2010.

Regardless of shedding, the match is the beginning of an occasion 12 years within the making for Qatar, relationship again to when it was controversially awarded the soccer event over extra conventional host nations, similar to the USA, South Korea, and Japan.

The 12-year technique of attending to the opening match was not with out issues, together with requires the event to be moved in a foreign country on account of human rights abuses and alleged bribery to safe the internet hosting duties.

The U.S. will play its first match of the World Cup towards Wales on Monday at 1 p.m. EST, with the sport being broadcast on Fox. This would be the first World Cup look by the U.S. since 2014 after the crew didn't qualify in 2018 for the primary time since 1986.