Doha. The wait of football fans is now about to end. The FIFA World Cup 2022 will begin on Sunday, November 20, with the match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. For Qatar, hosting the World Cup is a step taken in an effort to increase its identity on the global stage and move towards modernization. This is a moment of national pride for Qatar. But the Qatari team participating in this competition will have to overcome its biggest challenge.
Qatar is in Group A which includes Senegal and Netherlands besides Ecuador. In the history of Football World Cup, South Africa in 2010 is the only host country which has failed to advance beyond the group stage. In such a situation, it will be a challenge for Qatar to avoid such a failure. Senegal and Netherlands are considered very strong teams, so Qatar will have the best chance to register a win against Ecuador on Sunday. Qatar’s team is ranked 50th in FIFA rankings while Ecuador is ranked 44.
The Qatar team has been preparing for this tournament for the past several years. The team has participated in the 2019 Copa America and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. During this time, the team also proved its talent by winning the Asian Cup in 2019.
#2022WorldCup Opening Match
Qatar Ecuador
19:00 (Doha time)
Al Bayt StadiumWe’re all getting behind #AlAnnabi #AllForAlAnnabi#Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/qvjBVpxMdi
— Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) November 18, 2022