The World Cup finally gets underway today as hosts Qatar take on Ecuador.
While difficult to ignore the myriad of controversies and debates off the field, it’s equally hard to deny there is an added sense of intrigue.
Never before has the game’s biggest tournament been held in the Middle East, let alone during the northern hemisphere’s winter, and that’s before considering the background upon which it will be played.
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As grotesque and dismissive as FIFA’s directive to simply ‘focus on the football’ is, it will be fascinating to see how the action plays out. Clearly, there are bigger issues afoot, but even the most enlightened of football fans would surely find it difficult to explain at length the strengths and weaknesses of the Qatari national side.
Ecuador, meanwhile, do have a more visible reputation strewn across Europe’s major five leagues, though are still hard to truly judge given the national side’s struggles to play anyone outside of their continent due to the advent of the UEFA Nations League.
Tipped as wildcards in some circles, here’s everything you need to know about Ecuador’s clash with Qatar.
Date, kick-off time and venue
The 2022 World Cup’s opening group game is scheduled for a 4pm GMT kick-off today, Sunday November 20, 2022.
The Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor will host.
Where to watch Qatar vs Ecuador
TV channel: In the UK, the World Cup opener will be broadcast live free-to-air on BBC One, with coverage starting at 3pm.
Live stream: Coverage is also available online via the BBC Sport website and BBC iPlayer.
LIVE coverage: Follow all the action with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog.
Qatar vs Ecuador team news
Qatar XI: Al Sheeb; Al-Rawi, Khoukhi, Hassan; Miguel, Hatem, Boudiaf, Al-Haydos, Ahmed; Ali, Afif
Ecuador XI: Galindez; Preciado, Torres, Hincapie, Estupinan; Plata, Mendez, Caicedo, Ibarra; Estrada, Valencia
Qatar vs Ecuador prediction
La Tricolore certainly have the quality to hurt Qatar, who on paper are a much weaker side.
Still, hosts generally step up to the plate at the World Cup, making it difficult to confidently predict this will play out as most observers would predict.
For that reason, a draw seems safe.
A 1-1 draw.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Qatar wins: 1
Draws: 1
Ecuador wins: 1
Qatar vs Ecuador latest odds
Qatar to win: 13/5
Draw: 21/10
Ecuador to win: 5/4
