THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN FIFA WORLD CUP HISTORY THAT QATAR A HOST NATION HAS LOST THE TOURNAMENT OPENER

There was a colorful opening ceremony on the day of the match — led by Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman and attended by dignitaries from around the world, including Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — that promoted inclusivity and the idea of mankind living under the same roof. The first World Cup in the Middle East is a chance for Qatar, a tiny Arab country jutting out into the Persian Gulf, to showcase itself to the world at large. The hosts are playing at this level for the first time in their history as they host the tournament.
Despite Qatar's best efforts, the first-ever FIFA World Cup match ended in dismay for an overmatched team and with a place in unwanted football history. As part of the preparation for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar spent approximately $220 billion. This was supposed to be a game of celebration for them as their dream match against Ecuador ended with a 2-0 defeat in front of a half-empty stadium. It came as something of a shock to them since they had been anticipating this match for 12 years and this was not the dream opener they had been planning.

Prior to kickoff, various issues surrounding this World Cup had been discussed extensively. It was expected, however, that as soon as the football season began, it would transform into the cultural festival we all know and love. In front of a crowd of expectant spectators and a disciplined Ecuador team that could just pose a threat to higher-profile opponents over the next few weeks, Qatar's players froze in response to spending seven months together in a pre-tournament training camp under Spanish coach Felix Sanchez. It is certainly true that many nations would have enjoyed hosting this tournament, and would have sold out every minute of every match, but this was indeed the strangest World Cup opener we have ever witnessed. Furthermore, not only did one team clearly outperform the other - but the environment quickly deteriorated and the game resembled more of a friendly match than a World Cup opener.

It is likely that Qatar will lose all three of its group matches and go down as the worst World Cup host nation in history. Ecuador deserves praise for their superior performance throughout and their fast start. In the opening two minutes of the match, Gustavo Alfaro's side appeared to have taken the lead when Enner Valencia headed home from close range. It was however ruled out for an offside in the build-up by the new semi-automated offside system and VAR. There were rumors that he was corrupted, but the replay and graphic showed that he was indeed offside. This goal clearly illustrated Saad Al Sheep's shakiness under pressure. As a consequence of flapping for a cross in the build-up, he then conceded a penalty in the box by grabbing the legs of Enner Valencia. From the penalty spot, the former West Ham player made no mistake to open the scoring and became the record scorer for his country with his fourth goal.

As a result, things would get even better for the forward. Valencia leaped like a salmon to power a header of Angelo Preciado's wonderful cross into the bottom corner. Ecuador simply had the advantage in terms of physical advantage over the hosts. No VAR rescue was needed this time, and the South American side, who Tite had hailed as one of his dark horses, went 2-0 up in the game. As a result of Valencia's five goals at World Cups, he has now scored more World Cup goals than Zinedine Zidane, Zico, and Geoff Hurst combined. The hosts had not scored a goal and had only made one touch in the opponent's penalty area at the half-time break. As a result of Ecuador's supremacy and dominance, they had not even been able to win a corner.

At the break, thousands of home fans seemed to have left the stadium, furious with what they had witnessed. Ecuador kept on the front foot without the same incision. Initially filled to capacity, the arena was soon half-empty, as only Ecuador fans stood behind one goal, while the Qatar Ultras stayed behind their respective teams. There was no excitement or commotion at the conclusion of the game, which illustrates how most onlookers are feeling about the first-ever winter World Cup. Thus, Qatar's first-ever World Cup match ended in a defeat. From a footballing perspective, they are not suited for this stage.
By Rashmi Goel