VIDEO: Qatar vs Ecuador 0:2 - Historic Tournament

The opening ceremony of the World Cup has begun in Qatar. This tournament is being held for the first time in winter, in an Arab country, and for the second time in an Asian country (the first was in South Korea and Japan in 2002). Furthermore, this will be the last World Cup featuring 36 teams, as the next tournaments will expand to 48 teams.

It should be noted that in the first round of Group A, Qatar is currently competing against Ecuador (0:2). The score was opened in the 16th minute by South American team midfielder Enner Valencia, who converted a penalty kick. According to statistics from the Opta Sports portal, it is the first time in World Cup history that the first goal of the tournament has been scored from the penalty spot. Additionally, this penalty was also the first for the Ecuadorian national team in World Cup history, as the team has previously played 11 matches in the tournament.

Moreover, Valencia scored a second goal in the 31st minute, assisted by Angelo Preciado. The next match in the World Cup will take place tomorrow, November 21, featuring the teams from England and Iran, with the referee’s starting whistle set to blow at 16:00 Yerevan time.

It’s worth noting that historically in World Cup tournaments, the host country's team has never lost the opening match.