READ MORE
Opening ceremony to feature BTS pop sensation Jung Kook
-
Qatar will be playing their first ever World Cup game
-
Ecuador will be looking to take advantage of their experience
-
Qatar coach Sanchez: “I’m not saying we’re going to win the World Cup, but we’ll put in a performance of the highest level”
Finally, after years of preparation, Qatar will begin their first ever FIFA World Cup™ campaign on home soil, surrounded by their own fans.
Al Annabi come into the tournament as AFC Asian Cup 2019 champions. However, despite all the years of preparation, going up against Ecuador will be a new challenge for them.
By contrast, Ecuador have participated in three previous editions, making it past the group stage at Germany 2006, a feat they will be hoping to repeat this year.
Qatar captain Hassan Al Haydos says captaining the national team is a dream come true. and that hosting the first World Cup in an Arab nation fills him with pride.
Date and time
20 November, 16.00 (GMT)
Venue
Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Where to watch
Where to watch
Get your local TV and streaming listings for the match here.
Team news
Akram Afif did not start in Qatar’s last friendly before the World Cup against Albania.
Three Ecuador players – Jeremy Sarmiento, Carlos Gruezo and Robert Arboleda – have been nursing injuries over the last month, but all are included in the squad.
Starting XIs (probable)
Qatar: Saad Alsheeb, Boualem Khoukhi, Bassam Alrawi, Abdelkarim Hassan, Pedro Miguel, Abdulaziz Hatem, Hassan Alhaydos, Karim Boudiaf, Homam Ahmed, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif
Ecuador: Alexander Dominguez, Robert Arboleda, Felix Torres, Piero Hincapie, Pervis Estupinan, Jhegson Mendez, Moises Caicedo, Gonzalo Plata, Jose Cifuentes, Romario Ibarra, Enner Valencia
Referee
Orsato to take charge of World Cup Opening Match
Head to head
Qatar have faced Ecuador on three previous occasions, all of which were friendlies. The pair faced off twice in 1996 with the first match finishing 1-1 and the second going the way of the South Americans 2-1. In their third meeting, in 2018, Qatar won 4-3.
Key match stats
At 13 of the previous 21 World Cups, the hosts have made it to the semi-finals
Qatar won their first major continental tournament, the Asian Cup, in 2019, defeating Japan 3-1 in the final
Ecuador will be competing in their fourth World Cup – they previously took part in 2002, 2006 and 2014, although this will be the first time their opening game at the tournament involves a team outside Europe
Ecuador’s best result to date was in 2006, when they made it to the round of 16
Key quotes
Felix Sanchez, Qatar coach
“We’ll be playing against teams who have competed in World Cup finals and won the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. They have a lot of players who are the best in the world in their position and have World Cup and UEFA Champions League experience.”
Gustavo Alfaro, Ecuador coach
“I asked the team: What do you want? Are you just here to take part in a World Cup, or do you want to show the very best of Ecuador?”
-FIFA
