It’s finally here. The time for talk is over, and on Sunday, the World Cup 2022 opening ceremony comes from the Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor. The first match follows with host nation Qatar taking on Ecuador in Group A from 19:00 GMT in a fixture due to be broadcast worldwide. This will be the first time the FIFA tournament has been staged in the Arab World, and Qatar has been involved. The 22nd renewal will also be the only time in history the fixtures haven’t been played in the summer months of June and July. All matches were postponed for six months to accommodate the dangerously high summer temperatures in the region.
Which nation will enter the history books as the winner of the World Cup 2022? That remains to be seen, but it will be great fun finding out. The action begins on Sunday, 20th November, and between then and the final on Sunday, 18th December, 32 teams will be whittled down to just two. Those sides will then face off in the final a week before Christmas to decide the champion. Brazil is the pre-tournament favourite, sitting just ahead of World Cup 2018 champions France who lifted the trophy in Moscow. England and Argentina also feature near the top of the outright market, while Spain and Germany are expected to go close.
You can have your say on the best the World Cup offers at 22bet. This leading online sportsbook offers generous odds and exciting promotions. There’s the trophy winner, top goalscorer, groups, matches, and more. You’ll find something for everyone on the website or mobile site, and the markets are ready to enjoy now. Before making your prediction on game one from Qatar, read our in-depth expert preview with predictions included. This page aims to give our readers the information needed to make strong predictions on the game.
Qatar make history
Sunday will be an important day in the history of Qatar’s national football team as it makes its first steps into the World Cup proper. Not only will the cash-rich nation entertain the World’s soccer fans for the first time, but the team will also be playing in the tournament’s group stages, which has never happened before. They have a guaranteed minimum of three matches in Group A, where they’ll place Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands. Will they find a way out of the group and into the knockout stages of the play? It’s certainly possible at this stage, but the Netherlands are early favourites with pundits to top the pool.
Each group’s two best-performing sides will progress to the Round of 16, where the competition changes from a round-robin format to a straight knockout. Extra time and penalties will be used if a game ends level at full-time. And that’s when things get serious. In the group stages, a draw isn’t a bad result for either team – especially in this match – and we often see two well-matched sides settle for a share of the spoils. But that’s no good in the later rounds when the play always ends with a winner and a loser. The winner goes through to the next round, while the loser goes home.
Qatar has been written off by most pundits making predictions on which team will win the World Cup, but they have a chance of taking three points from this match. A winning start at home against a team also expected to struggle this winter could be the difference between going through and going out. Three points gained on Sunday would catapult Qatar into the running, especially if the group’s other match between Senegal and the Netherlands produces a winner. Victory on matchday one will boost confidence in the Qatar camp.
Ecuador aims to upset the party
All the hype pre-match focuses on Qatar’s first World Cup and its need to make a winning start. It’s always good when a host nation goes deep into a competition, helping build energy around the games and attract a bigger audience. Many in Qatar will be excited about this match, but if Ecuador can play the bad guy role and upset the hosts, they will give themselves a great chance of going through. There are many competitive fixtures from round one, and this may be the closest of them all. There’s everything to play for on Sunday.
Ecuador isn’t exactly a powerhouse of international football, but they did well to get here and will want to mark the occasion by performing well. This is a genuine 50/50 match where both teams will emerge from the tunnel believing they have what it takes to get the win and claim three points. Ecuador is the away team and has the unenviable task of trying to silence the cheering crowds, but they have the squad to compete. Ecuador will view this as their best chance of landing a win from their three group games. But will they get off to the dream start their fans want to see?
Ecuador finished fourth in the World Cup, qualifying South America table, ending behind Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. That’s great company to keep ahead of this tournament, and the players will take heart from finishing ahead of more established teams like Peru, Colombia, and Chile. Their qualifying stats showed seven wins and five draws against six defeats, with 27 goals scored and 19 conceded. Not the form of a side you’d expect to win the World Cup, and they did end 19 points behind group winners, and World Cup favourites Brazil.
Qatar v Ecuador prediction
Qatar is the popular pick with football fans to win this match, which is understandable. They will be the best-supported team in the competition, at least for the first three matches. That home-field advantage could make all the difference.
World Cup odds
Members of the online gambling app 22bet can back Qatar to win this match at odds of 3.22 with the draw 3.09 and an Ecuador victory 2.38.
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