Host country: Qatar. Dates: November 20 – December 18. Broadcasts: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app. Daily TV Shows – Full Report Details
“Focus on football” was FIFA’s message to the participating countries before the start of the World Cup.

After the results of the first leg of the competition, anyone associated with Qatar will want to forget their last 90 minutes of football for at least the next week.

Félix Sánchez’s team was easily beaten 2-0 by Ecuador, failing to connect a shot on goal throughout the match.

And they became the first host in the history of the tournament to lose the first match.

A day that began with genuine optimism as their World Cup dream came true soon turned into a nightmare for players and fans alike.

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Brilliant opening ceremony before the start.
Qatar’s right to host the World Cup was covered in multiple columns and website copy when Sepp Blatter revealed his name on an envelope 12 years ago.

Questions about the country’s human rights record and treatment of LGBT people overshadowed the buildup, but there was commotion outside the stadium in the hours before Sunday’s game.

Security personnel lined up at the entrance on camels and horses, and traditional Arab dances were performed near the turnstiles with drums.

Although the locals were more reserved, the Ecuadorian fans who attended were with a great voice, singing and chanting by their side.

Before kick-off at Al-Bayt stadium, in the form of a Bedouin tent, actor Morgan Freeman performed a brilliant opening ceremony, and Ghanim Al-Muftah, who was born with a rare caudal regression syndrome, recited verses from the Koran. .

A new single from global superstar Jung Kook of BTS, who performs alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al Qubaisi, was also released.

At the Doha Fan Fest, the crowd gathered to watch the match on the big screen when their day finally arrived. There were so many thousands that the fans dispersed an hour before kick-off.

However, they leaked out of the subway stations only to be redirected to another big screen away from the Fan Fest.

Little has been written beforehand about the fact that Qatar is the Asian champion and has an experienced team with five players who win 100 matches or more.

And just as well, because they had a surprise.

“Obviously it’s not what we expected,” Sanchez said afterward. “Now it’s up to us to analyze this game, focus and try to forget about today.

“There are no excuses. Congratulations to Ecuador who deserved to win. There are many opportunities for improvement. We didn’t play at our best level. Maybe responsibility or nerves got the better of us.”

“Terrible start, defines the whole game. We have to forget about the pressure.”

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Qatar fans leave early

Qatar could have conceded their first World Cup goal when Enner Valencia headed in from close range, but they were given a reprieve due to offside detected by the video assistant referee.

Things did not improve, however, as former West Ham striker Valencia scored from the penalty spot and added a header for a 2-0 half-time lead.

As the Ecuadorians enjoyed their day off, the home fans, dressed in their traditional tobas and abayas, sat mostly silent apart from a group of fans dressed in maroon jerseys outside the goal.

Many of those who left their seats at half-time did not return, leaving the stadium half empty for much of the second half.

This contributed to an even atmosphere that resulted in only one shot on goal in the second half.

When asked about the large number of empty seats, Sanchez said: “To tell you the truth, I had enough work on this game to look at it.

“Yes, we feel the backlash and support from our fans, and I hope next time they feel even more proud. This team can do better and I am sure they will support us until the end of the tournament.

“This is far from our best game. This competition is short so we need to recover for the next game and hopefully it will be better for us.”

But it doesn’t get any easier.

African Cup of Nations champion Senegal is next Friday and will complete Group A against the Netherlands on November 29.

Qatar must prepare, and quickly, to avoid the embarrassment of being the second host nation after South Africa in 2010 to fail to qualify from the group stage.

Off the field, the preparations for the World Cup at home were ridiculed, the team does not want to pass the same tests in it.