The moment Qatar has been waiting nearly 12 years for has arrived.
The 2022 World Cup host nation will play its first match on soccer’s grandest stage, hosting Ecuador in the opening match of the competition. Qatar’s World Cup has been shrouded by scandal, controversy, tragedy and uncertainty ever since its bid to stage the competition was granted in 2010, but its national team is the reigning Asian confederation champion and has no desire of becoming the first host nation to lose the opening match of its World Cup.
Ecuador, however, is out to play spoiler and indeed make that happen at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.