Qatar spent in the region of $220bn to host the 2022 World Cup. Their dream opening game against Ecuador, which was meant to be a celebration of joy, ended in a 2-0 defeat in front of a half-empty stadium. That result flattered them, and this was a nightmare curtain-raiser rather than the dream opener they had been planning 12 years for.
The issues surrounding this World Cup, which were discussed at length before kick-off, were well-known. But most thought when the football got underway, it would become the festival we all know and love. Qatar was meant to be a football-mad nation, so why were the majority of fans heading for the exit door at half-time?
There were so many nations that would have loved to stage this tournament and would have sold out every minute of every game - but this quickly became the strangest World Cup opener we’ve ever seen. Not only was one team clearly superior to the other - but the atmosphere quickly disappeared and it felt more like a friendly than the first game of the World Cup.
READ MORE:
Unless something drastic happens, Qatar are likely to lose all three of the group games and go down as the worst World Cup host nation we have ever seen. Worth the money? Absolutely not.
Praise must be given to Ecuador, who were superior throughout and got off to a flying start. Gustavo Alfaro’s side thought they had taken the lead when Enner Valencia headed home from close range within the opening two minutes. However, the new semi-automated offsides and VAR ruled the goal out for an offside in the build-up.
Rumours of corruption spread like wildfire, but the replay and graphic showed that he was indeed offside. What that goal showed was that Saad Al Sheeb was shaky under pressure. Having flapped for a cross in the build-up, he then gave away a penalty by taking away the legs of Enner Valencia in the box.
The former West Ham man made no mistake from the spot to get the scoring underway and with his fourth became his country’s record scorer. Not bad.
📹 @BBCSport
#QATECU | #FIFAWorldCup
Things would get even better for the forward. Ecuador just had the physical advantage over the hosts and Valencia leapt like a salmon to power a header Angelo Preciado’s wonderful cross into the bottom corner. This time there was no VAR rescue and the South American side, who Brazil manager Tite tipped as his dark horses, were 2-0 up.
Valencia himself, had now scored Ecuador’s last five goals at World Cups, a total that means he has now scored more World Cup goals than Zinedine Zidane, Zico and Geoff Hurst. At half-time, the host nation hadn’t managed a shot on target and had just one touch in the opponent’s penalty area. They hadn’t even managed to win a corner, such was Ecuador’s utter domination and superiority.
Ecuador kept on the front foot without the same incision as thousands of home fans appeared to have left the stadium at the break, furious with what they had witnessed. What had begun as a packed out arena was soon half-empty, as only the Ecuador fans behind one goal, and the ‘Qatar Ultras’ stayed behind their teams.
The game ended without any excitement or furore, and rather summed up how most onlookers are feeling about the first ever winter World Cup. And so Qatar's first ever World Cup match ended with a loss. They don’t belong on this stage from a footballing perspective.
Money can buy you many things. It can buy you the right to host a World Cup. It can buy you a place in said World Cup. It can buy you several brand spanking new stadiums to play in. But it can’t buy you happiness. Or fans. And as it turns out, it can’t buy you a decent international football team either.
*18+ | Be Gamble Aware
