Qatar Becomes The First World Cup Host Country To Lose Its First Match

The moment Qatar had been waiting for for nearly 12 years arrived—and it did not go as planned by the country or its national team..

The 2022 World Cup host nation stumbled in its first match on soccer’s biggest stage, losing 2-0 to Ecuador in the opening game of the competition.

An Enner Valencia double in the first half was all it took for Qatar to become the first host country to lose its World Cup opener, but the game was far more lopsided than the score indicated..

The previous four FIFA World Cup hosts, Russia, Brazil, South Africa, and Germany, all won their opening matches to begin their fantastic journeys..

This was not the situation Qatar, the high-spending host nation, desired. Their performance matched their lackluster experience, and they were chastised for being too afraid to play to their strengths..